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What to Rent: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:30:00 PST

If you feel like bumming around this week, I have the perfect couch potato companion: new DVD releases! Here are my three picks, but Sorority Row and Everybody's Fine also hit shelves today if you want to add them to your queue.

The Informant!

Part crime caper, part silly comedy, The Informant! stars Matt Damon as the bumbling vice president of a major agricultural corporation who goes undercover with the FBI to expose the company's shady price-fixing. Damon's mustache and his inner ramblings are good for laughs - and he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance - but I was left scratching my head over the jumbled plot towards the middle of the movie. Maybe it'd be easier to follow a second time around?

Extras include deleted scenes.

77%

The September Issue

Giving us an insider look into the secret world of Vogue, The September Issue is full of flashbulbs, celebrities, gorgeous gowns, and (somewhat surprisingly), heart. Yes, we get to see the infamous Anna Wintour without her trademark glasses, but I admittedly fell even more in love with her coworker, friend, and nemesis Grace Coddington. The film is style and substance – and a great watch for the weekend.

Extras include 90 minutes of extra footage, including Wintour putting together the high profile Met Ball.

84%

One more release when you

The Box

Richard Kelly's thriller The Box stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a suburban couple in the '70s who are offered a million dollars if they press a button - causing the death of a stranger. The movie's premise and Kelly's direction have a lot of promise, but the mass of loose ends, bad dialogue, and cheesy scares didn't satisfy me. However, Kelly's debut Donnie Darko found its audience on DVD, so The Box could as well.

Extras include a featurette with Richard Matheson who wrote the short story "Button, Button" on which the movie is based.

44%

Miley and LC on Divas Carpet, Jennifer's Body, Love Happens and Informant Reviewed, and Our Emmy Picks!

Molly — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:30:00 PDT

Miley Cyrus, Lauren Conrad, and Paula Abdul were three of the highlights from last night's VH1 Diva's event in Brooklyn, and we were there to capture the red carpet footage. This weekend three big movies are hitting theaters, so watch BuzzSugar's quick reviews of each of them. Plus, it was a big week for oversize record-breaking food, and check out our Emmy predictions before this Sunday's show. Watch the Weekend Edition of PopSugar Rush now!

Miley and LC on Divas Carpet, Jennifer's Body, Love Happens and Informant Reviewed, Our Emmy Picks!

Molly — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:34 PDT

Miley Cyrus, Lauren Conrad and Paula Abdul were three of the highlights from last night's VH1 Divas event in Brooklyn, NY and we were there to capture the red carpet footage. This weekend three big movies are hitting theaters, so watch BuzzSugar's quick reviews of each of them. Plus, it was a big week for oversized record breaking food and check out our Emmy predictions before this Sunday's show. Watch the Weekend Edition of PopSugar Rush now!

What Will You See This Weekend - The Informant!, Love Happens, or Jennifer's Body?

PopSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:00:00 PDT

It's a big weekend at the box office, with films coming our way from some of our favorite stars. Jennifer Aniston's Love Happens is coming out, as is Megan Fox's Jennifer's Body. Matt Damon plays a bumbling business man in The Informant!, which Buzz found to be pretty funny. So, tell us - which film will you see this weekend?

The Informant!: Funny If You Can Focus!

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:38 PDT

What would happen if Michael Scott were dropped into the movie Michael Clayton? If you're wondering what to expect from Steven Soderbergh's The Informant!, the visual of Michael bumbling his way through a corporate thriller is a good place to start.

The movie is campy right from the start, almost making an announcement as cheesy music plays over the neon bubble letters of the credits. There's even the rarely seen "Matt Damon IN... The Informant" - Soderbergh isn't trying to hide anything here, though the move is set in the early '90s despite the '70s ambiance. While many of the jokes hit you over the head, don't expect the key plot elements to have the same effect.

To see what I mean, just

Matt Damon literally transforms himself into Mark Whitacre, the vice president of real-life lysine developing company ADM. On the surface, Whitacre fits right into the upper-middle class Midwestern stereotype; he's an overweight, mustachioed man who sits down to dinner with his wife and sons every night. In what seems to be a sudden attack of conscience, Whitacre takes it upon himself to rat out ADM's price-fixing schemes to two FBI agents (played by Scott Bakula and a straight-laced Joel McHale). The more involved Whitacre gets with the FBI, the more eager he is to help take down the company that made him rich. The agents (and the audience) quickly begin to wonder - what's in it for him?

Most of my laugh-out-loud moments came from Whitacre's inner monologue. At first his thoughts give us clues about the decisions he makes - he seems to be obsessed with John Grisham novels and conspiracy theories, so it's no surprise that he's relishing in his involvement with the FBI. As time goes on, however, his stream of consciousness shifts from wacky observations about the world at large to ways he can manipulate it to his own benefit.

Soderbergh has a solid lineup of supporting comedians (Patton Oswalt and Tony Hale also make appearances) but Matt Damon is the mastermind here. He shines through all that hair, makeup, and extra pounds to deliver a highly enjoyable performance that keeps you guessing. Damon's no stranger to comedy, but his role as Whitacre is a far cry from Stuck On You.

The movie has a sluggish start, and loses its focus towards the middle - but try not to doze off, since almost every loose end is eventually tied up. While only a manageable 108 minutes, the film still feels like it's a half hour longer than it should be. If I had been watching it at home, I may have been tempted to turn it off, which is a shame since many of the laughs and most of the excitement happens in the end.

There's fun to be had here, if you manage your expectations. This is not your typical comedy: the humor is dry, but the laughs are there - just try not to lose focus along the way.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Matt Is Adjusted, Informed, and Approving of Clooney's GF

PopSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:30:00 PDT

Matt Damon filmed scenes for The Adjustment Bureau in NYC yesterday, both on a boat and with Mayor Bloomberg, before premiering The Informant! last night. He held hands with Luciana on the red carpet, where he talked about how much he likes George Clooney's new girlfriend, Elisabetta. Matt said it was nice to see George so happy when they got together this Summer in Lake Como. Matt's been juggling meeting politicians, filming his current movie, and promoting his movie, but he still found time to film the funny mustached slow motion fight scene that aired on Kimmel last night - check out the video below.

To see lots more photos, plus the video of Matt fighting Jimmy Kimmel's sidekick, just

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Images include: Matt Damon, Luciana Barroso, Joel McHale, Sarah McHale, Steven Soderbergh, Jules Asner, Matt Whitacre

Caption It!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:30:00 PDT

Welcome to the Caption It game on BuzzSugar! Every Wednesday, I'll post a photo still from a TV show or movie here and challenge you to think of the most hilarious caption possible. I'll announce the finalists the following Tuesday, and you'll get to vote for the best caption!

First, give your congrats to kafarine-tin-tin, the winner of last week's challenge. She gave our So You Think You Can Dance photo this hilarious caption.

"Buffaloes. Hundreds. They're coming from the East."

And she's winning by a landslide with a whopping 69 percent of your votes. Congrats, kafarine-tin-tin! Onto this week's challenge, inspired by The Informant! Look out for my review of the movie on Friday, but for now, check out this photo of Joel McHale and see if you can think up a line to go with it.

Leave your captions in the comment space below before 5 p.m. PDT on Monday, Sept. 21 to be considered for a spot in the voting round. Have fun!

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Buzz's Picks For Fall Movies: Comedies

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:45:00 PDT

I've already given you previews of tons of upcoming Fall films, but now that their release dates are fast-approaching, I'm going to share my picks for the ones most worth seeing. Mark your calendar (or just write 'em in on your TV calendar!). First up, comedies.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures, Fox Searchlight, and Sony Pictures

Matt and Luciana Are Glamorous and Informed in Venice

Molly — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:00:48 PDT

Matt Damon and Luciana stepped out in their finest formal wear at the Venice Film Festival premiere of The Informant! yesterday. The duo has already made a bit of a vacation out of the trip including a date night before Matt's photo call for the film. His weight gain for the role seems to be all anyone can talk about before the movie comes out in a few weeks, but Matt was svelte as ever in his three piece suit hand in hand with his wife. Matt's friend George also dropped his anchor down at the festival yesterday so we'll see if the buddies can get in any more QT after their Lake Como weekend earlier in the Summer.

To see more of the premiere including Wesley Snipes, Tilda Swinton, Steven Soderbergh and others just

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Images include: Matt Damon, Luciana Damon, Wesley Snipes, Tilda Swinton, Steven Soderbergh, Jules Asner

Matt Brings His Fun Film and Luciana to Venice

PopSugar — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:30:37 PDT

Matt and Luciana Damon left LA last week and headed to Venice to promote The Informant! at the city's film festival. They stepped out for dinner last night, before Matt was up bright and early today for a photo call with director Steven Soderbergh. Matt opened up about the process of making the movie, which involved piling on the pounds, saying, "It was probably the funniest time I ever had working because I didn't have to think 'I have to go to the gym after work', and I just basically ate everything that I could see." He's already back to his usual hot shape and adding sparkle to the cinema event with his charming smile.

To see more Matt just

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