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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:30:00 PST

Tuesday means it's time to rev up your entertainment engine with new releases in music and new DVDs to add to your Netflix queue. I've checked out today's movie offerings and have some recommendations for the movies that are worth your rental time below.

This Summer's hit from Pixar is as tear-jerking as it is funny and light, and equally entertaining for kids and adults. Up is a story about an old man, voiced by Ed Asner, who attaches his home to balloons to escape his rapidly changing neighborhood.

I loved the emotional and original story, and wouldn't be surprised to see it nab a Best Picture nomination. The DVD has a ton of fun extras like cartoon shorts Partly Cloudy and Dug's Special Mission, and the expected making-of featurettes.

98%

See two more new releases when you

The Ugly Truth

Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler play opposite each other in this romantic comedy that hinges on the notion that women want love, while men only want sex. I couldn't find much romance, though; in its place are cliches and some truly cringe-worthy moments.

But if you're one of the many who loves Gerard Butler, you may enjoy his boorish behavior. DVD extras include deleted scenes, two alternate endings, director commentary, and a gag reel.

15%

Spread

Ashton Kutcher is just a gigolo in the indie Spread. OK, maybe he's not exactly a gigolo, but it's pretty close - his character Nikki hangs around wealthy women like Anne Heche, exchanging good lovin' for a place to stay. When he unintentionally falls for a mysterious girl, his sugar mama ways are challenged.

Kutcher's role is more dramatic than what he usually takes on, and the love scenes are supposedly pretty steamy. Included in the DVD's extras are a feature called "The World According to Nikki," commentary with Kutcher (who also produced the movie), and deleted scenes.

13%

Gerard Gives Hugs to Katherine and Kisses to Jen

PopSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:00:00 PDT

Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl were cozy on the red carpet yesterday for a premiere of The Ugly Truth in London. He made an appearance earlier on the program GMTV, where he presented the weather - check out the video below - and revealed that he scored the role by telling naughty jokes. Gerard is having fun overseas with Katherine, but his mind is still with his The Bounty costar Jennifer Aniston. He again denied that they're dating, but he's apparently quite excited for their kissing scenes when he returns to the set.

To see more photos of Katherine and Gerard, and the videos of Gerard presenting the weather and talking about Jen just

View 10 Photos ›

Caption It: Which Caption Should Win?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:30:09 PDT

For a movie called The Ugly Truth, these are some very pretty roses:

Thanks for chipping in your ideas for this week's Caption It challenge! There can only be one winner, though, so here are your finalists:

"No, seriously, I know you're Katherine Heigl, but they're for me. . . ."
"So, you think this bouquet will help smooth things over with the Grey's Anatomy writers?"
"It's not quite an Emmy, but OMG it'll have to do!"
"Talk about overcompensating!" . . . "I know, right?!?!"
"The card says I get to keep them if I dye my hair brown!"

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Box Office: Guinea Pigs Take Down Wizards

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:30:56 PDT

In perhaps the first showdown ever between guinea pigs and wizards, the guinea pigs won out this weekend, as Disney's animated G-Force edged out Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at the box office. The little furry guys grossed $32.2 million to Potter's $30 million, though Half-Blood Prince has now accumulated a total of $221.8 million domestically.

The Gerard Butler-Katherine Heigl rom-com, The Ugly Truth, had a strong opening weekend as well, coming in third place with $27 million. The fourth movie in the box office top five took in dramatically less: scary movie Orphan was No. 4 with $12.7 million. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs rounded out the top five with $8.2 million.

Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Guess Who?

partysugar — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:00:00 PDT

Can you guess which chef plays a chef in the movie The Ugly Truth?

Giorgio Armani Dresses Katherine Heigl in The Ugly Truth

FabSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:00:22 PDT

To help her look extra fabulous in The Ugly Truth - movie opens nationwide today - Katherine Heigl received a little wardrobe help from Giorgio Armani. We just found out the designer collaborated with costume designer Betsy Heimann on a couple of Heigl's key looks in the romantic comedy. His favorite piece from the film is this sexy Armani LBD worn by Heigl in a key scene. If you love it, you can purchase it at an Armani store near you for $950. The dress will be available next week at Armani/5th Avenue in Manhattan and at the Emporio Armani boutique in Los Angeles.

Source

The Ugly Truth: A Misogynistic Mess

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:30:14 PDT

When reviewing The Ugly Truth, it's impossible to ignore what Katherine Heigl had to say in 2007 about her film Knocked Up:

"It paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys. It exaggerated the characters, and I had a hard time with it, on some days. I’m playing such a b*tch; why is she being such a killjoy? Why is this how you’re portraying women? Ninety-eight percent of the time it was an amazing experience, but it was hard for me to love the movie."

For a very similar reason, it was hard for me to love The Ugly Truth.

The ugly truth about The Ugly Truth is that it's, well, ugly. At its core, the film is a love story that tries to prove that men are from Mars and women are from Venus. What it actually succeeds at is much more sleazy, belaboring the point that men only want sex (read: women who eat hot dogs seductively) and women only want love (read: men who drink red wine and prefer cats to dogs). You don't have to be Katherine Heigl to find these stereotypes offensive.

To dig a little deeper,

These types of movies aren't always bad. When Harry Met Sally became a modern classic with its examination of differences between the sexes. But that movie does so smartly - it's more subtle, more nuanced, more quaint. And while When Harry Met Sally has its fair share of risqué content (who could forget the infamous deli scene?), it's tame compared to what we see in The Ugly Truth. Case in point: this scene. It's almost a carbon copy of the notorious Meg Ryan performance, except this time the leading lady is actually climaxing at a table because her vibrating underwear is being controlled by a child with a remote. Classy.

Beyond being offensive, the movie is just boringly predictable. If you've seen the trailer, you've likely figured out the entire plot. Not to mention which, that two-minute clip is actually better than the film! The acting isn't the problem here: Heigl and Gerard Butler are great in their roles, as are many of the supporting characters. The two leads carry the film easily - it's just not a film worth carrying. Frankly, they should have known better.

I can't wait to see what Katherine Heigl has to say about this in the future.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

How Well Do You Know Gerard Butler?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:30:09 PDT

Gerard Butler has quickly become one of Hollywood's rising stars, but he's more than just a pretty face. He's proved his range with the variety of characters he's portrayed over the years, trademarking that swoon-worthy smirk in the process. His new movie, The Ugly Truth, hits theaters today, and I thought it would be fun to gear up for the romantic comedy with a little quiz all about Gerard.

Take the Quiz

Casa Quickie: Home Deliver Flowers to Someone Special

CasaSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:00:46 PDT

Who doesn't love receiving a bouquet of flowers? Whether it's delivered from the local flower shop, or arrives in the hands of a dinner party guest, a bouquet really can make someone feel special.

So, what's stopping you? Do you have a friend who needs a pick-me-up, or a special relative who appreciates a pretty bouquet? There's no need to spend a lot of money. You can even use a grocery store bouquet that you've re-arranged. Or, if you're lucky enough to have a flower garden, trim some blooms, wrap them in ribbon and newspaper, and leave them on that special someone's doorstep. Who knows? Maybe the favor will be returned someday. And even if it's not, you can rest assured you've made someone's day.

Caption It!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:30:05 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, let's settle the matter of last week's winner. This week's vote is one of the closest I've seen in a while - at the time I'm writing this, the vote is practically a four-way tie! At the moment, Symphonee is slightly ahead with:

"You are too small to be the muffin nazi. Step aside."

Congrats, Symphonee and all of this week's finalists!

Now for a new challenge coming to us from The Ugly Truth:

Leave your captions in the comment space below before 5 p.m. PDT on Monday, July 27 to be considered for a spot in the voting round. Have fun!

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures