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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

It's Tuesday, so you know what that means - new DVD releases just in time for the Thanksgiving break! I've already shared some fresh music picks, but here are three movies to add to your Netflix queue for the weekend.

Funny People

Adam Sandler plays a comedian who tries to turn his life around and befriend a past love (Leslie Mann) after being diagnosed with a blood disorder; Seth Rogen steps in as his idealistic assistant. Both men turn in solid performances in Funny People, and there are laughs, even though this is way more serious than director Judd Apatow's previous work. One of my complaints in the theater was that it was much too long, but that's the good thing about DVDs - you can always hit pause and go back later.

The single disc version includes a gag reel and a feature commentary with Apatow, Rogen, and Sandler. (Normally I don't watch with the commentary on, but in this case, I might just tune in for their wise cracks.) The special two-disc collector's version is loaded with extras, including a 13-year old Seth Rogen doing stand-up!

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Two more DVD releases to check out when you read more.

Four Christmases

I love Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, and while they don't necessarily have any sparks in Four Christmases, they still serve up a cute comedy. The pair star as a couple stuck visiting four sets of relatives around the holidays - his mom, her mom, his dad, her dad. And while it's not the funniest or most charming film that either actor has done, I still had a few laughs, especially thanks to the supporting cast of quirky characters (Jon Favreau and Kristin Chenoweth in particular). Even if it doesn't stack up against the classics in my holiday movie faceoff, it's worth trying if you're looking to get into the spirit of the season.

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Angels and Demons

Tom Hanks fans have Angels and Demons to look forward to. The actor is incredibly long-winded in the follow-up film to The DaVinci Code, but at least he's no longer sporting that ridiculous bouffant hairdo. This time, Robert Langdon tries to save the Vatican from an ancient group known as the Illuminati. Personally, I was bored by the first half when I saw the film in theaters, but the second part is actually fun - so if you catch it at home, you may want to fast forward a bit to get to the good stuff.

Special features include behind-the-scenes featurettes.

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NYC Is Where Spike, Blake, and Tom Check Out the Wild Things

PopSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:30:52 -0700

Blake Lively was one of the few ladies at last night's NYC premiere of Where the Wild Things Are. It's only Wednesday, but this was already Blake's second red carpet of the week after turning out to support boyfriend Penn Badgley Monday at his screening of The Stepfather. Blake was in rather impressive company, as Tom Hanks and Forest Whitaker also turned out to see Spike Jonze's latest film. Spike took his turn in the limelight to pose with the young star Max Records and author Maurice Sendak, who wrote the famous children's book on which the movie is based. The movie opens Friday - make sure to check out the latest trailer - and there is a huge promotional effort underway, including related lines of home furnishings, children's Halloween costumes, and even clothes for adults.

More photos from the premiere so read more.

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Images include: Catherine O'Hara, Tom Hanks, Forest Whitaker, Martin Short, Spike Jonze, Max Records, James Gandolfini, Blake Lively, Keisha Whitaker, Catherine Keener, Maurice Sendak

Blake, Forest and Tom Know Where The Wild Things Are

PopSugarUK — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:07:53 -0700

Blake Lively spent a second evening at a film premiere last night, joining Forest Whitaker and producer Tom Hanks for the New York premiere of Where The Wild Things Are at Alice Tully Hall. Blake wore her hair in gorgeous curls taking a trend straight from Paris Fashion Week. They were joined by director Spike Jonze and singer Karen O, who provides music for the soundtrack. The film is due out in the UK on 11 December: will you see it or skip it?

To see more pictures from the premiere, including Catherine Keener, Tom Hanks, Spike Jonze, Karen O, James Gandolfini and Martin Short, just read more.

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Images include: Blake Lively, Forest Whitaker, Catherine Keener, Tom Hanks, Spike Jonze, Karen O, James Gandolfini, Martin Short

Are You Interested in Projects About World War II?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:30:48 -0700

Usually when Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg team up to tell stories about World War II, the results are pretty spectacular - witness Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. So I'm expecting a lot from The Pacific, the pair's follow-up miniseries for HBO. The project doesn't have an air date yet, but a lot of work has clearly gone into this 10-episode chronicle of three marines fighting in the Pacific: it started shooting in 2007, and it's rumored to have a $200 million budget.

The trailer's out now, and it looks like a slick and epic project. But it also got me thinking: World War II has been popular fodder for years now, not just for Spielberg and Hanks but for lots of other film and TV storytellers. Do you think there are still more compelling stories to be told about that era? Or do you tune out at the very mention of victory gardens and D-Day?

Jake And Reese Attend Hollywood Holiday Beach Bash

PopSugarUK — Tue, 26 May 2009 06:00:48 -0700

Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Hanks, Kate Beckinsale and Guy Ritchie all attended a star-studded Memorial Day beach party in Malibu yesterday. Sherlock Holmes buddies Guy and Robert probably shared some movie chat inside, with Robert bringing along his son Indio. Reese looked adorable in her pink cardi and flip flops, while Kate went a little more dressed up in her sky high wedges, arriving with her husband Len Wiseman. Check out Jake and Robert's matching outfits, perhaps it's the new Hollywood hunk uniform! Isn't it fun seeing that they all go out and socialise together?

To see more photos from the Memorial Day party, just read more.

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Box Office: Angels and Demons Is No. 1

BuzzSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:15:54 -0700

The film adaptation of Dan Brown's bestselling novel, Angels and Demons starring Tom Hanks, is a global sensation after earning an estimated $104.3 million at the international box office over the weekend.

Here in the US the holy thriller swiped the top spot from Star Trek, which still performed strongly, coming in at No. 2 with an estimated $43 million domestically. According to Variety, positive word-of-mouth thanks to stellar reviews is probably the reason Star Trek continues to be quite the box office powerhouse.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and Obsessed rounded out the rest of the box office top five coming in third, fourth, and fifth respectively.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Angels and Demons: Information Overload

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:30:29 -0700

Angels and Demons reunites Tom Hanks and Ron Howard for another Dan Brown adaptation. While Brown's book was a prequel to the author's best-selling The Da Vinci Code, this installment in the movie franchise is set up as a sequel.

The Da Vinci Code received awful reviews when it debuted, mostly due to its excruciatingly slow pace. It then went on to earn a gazillion dollars, proving there's an appetite for escapist movies involving Vatican conspiracy theories. But while the pacing is much improved in Angels and Demons, the mindless entertainment part is basically ruined thanks to an enormous amount of expository dialogue. Every time the action starts to click along, every time the mystery deepens, Hanks's professor character shows up with another long-winded history lesson that's completely pointless in terms of understanding the plot. In other words, it's a buzzkill.

To see why this would be a much better experience if the professor were muzzled, read more.

The story begins promisingly enough with some high-stakes circumstances. The beloved pope is dead! The preferiti - the four cardinals up for pope - have been kidnapped! The kidnapper is leaving clues full of strange symbols! This must be a job for a symbologist!

Enter Harvard scholar Robert Langdon (Hanks), whom we first see buff and tanned (and without that terrible bouffant he sported the last time) swimming laps. A man with a briefcase approaches. In the first of many "Thank you, Captain Obvious" moments, Langdon pops up for air and explains in great detail that a symbol on the briefcase must mean the man is from the Vatican. And then the man says, "Yes. I am from the Vatican." That's the sort of thing that happens all throughout this movie.

Regardless, the chase is on to save the cardinals from a mad man who Langdon believes is part of an ancient group of scientists/terrorists called the Illuminati. Adding to the suspense is a dangerous "God particle," stolen from an Italian biophysicist named Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), ticking away like a time bomb and threatening to blow the Holy City to smithereens.

Further complicating the story is a cast of Vatican power players filled out by three excellent actors: Armin Mueller-Stahl, Stellan Skarsgard, and Ewan McGregor. I wish these characters had their own movie in which they could maneuver around each other in the aftermath of the pope's mysterious death. But no, they have to call in that yappy professor, who takes forever to explain things the audience has already figured out.

While the first half of the movie is predictable and mind-numbing, the final act is so preposterous it's actually fun. The climactic scene is so silly and nonsensical you'll likely have fun talking about it for days (I know I have). The set design and costumes are actually quite beautiful, as is the cinematography, which gives many of the scenes a lovely, heavenly glow.

In the end the ingredients are all there for a stylish and fun (and most holy) suspense thriller. Too bad Howard and his team ruined it by talking too much.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

How Well Do You Know Tom Hanks?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:30:39 -0700

Tom Hanks's new movie, Angels and Demons, hits theaters today. Every time I see that guy on the big screen these days, I can't help but marvel at his career. The man has been making blockbusters for decades, and he's one of the most powerful, not to mention beloved, forces in Hollywood.

His career has involved acting both on big screens and small, and he's worked with so many talented actors and directors along the way. I get a kick out of Tom Hanks trivia and thought you might have fun testing your knowledge as well. Ready? Good luck!

Source

Take the quiz

Watch, Pass, TiVo or Rent: Angels and Demons

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 08:15:26 -0700

Though Dan Brown's book Angels and Demons is a prequel to his bestseller The Da Vinci Code, the film adaptation was developed as a sequel. In the movie, which opens this Friday, Tom Hanks reprises his role as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon who "discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati" whose most despised enemy is the Catholic Church. Together with an Italian scientist named Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), Langdon "will follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican's only hope for survival."

Do you plan on seeking out this mysterious thriller in the theaters, on DVD, or when it happens to be on TV someday? Or maybe never?

One-sheet courtesy of Sony Pictures

Julia Showers Tom With Love and a Few Naughty Words

PopSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:30:00 -0700

Tom Hanks was the man of the hour last night at the 36th Film Society of Lincoln Center's Gala in NYC. Rita Wilson sparkled on his arm, while Ron Howard framed the perfect shot of Tom and Julia Roberts. Fresh off her trip to Venice, Charlize couldn't help but gush about Salma Hayek's wedding and how beautiful the bride looked in her gown. Julia got the most attention of the night due to her miniroast of Tom. She teased him about a few of his past movies and used the f-word so many times to describe everything from his wife's body to wearing the same dress as his publicist that Tom called out her potty mouth in his own speech.

To see more photos including Christopher Walken, Steven Spielberg, and Ed Burns, just read more.

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Images include: Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Charlize Theron, Adrien Brody, Christopher Walken, Christy Turlington, Ed Burns, Glenn Close, Sally Field, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard

Source and Startraks Photo