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19 articles from 2009

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Adam Sandler plays both Jack and Jill. Can an Oscar nomination be far behind?

28 October 2009 9:57 PM, PDT | Corona's Coming Attractions | See recent Corona's Coming Attractions news »

This month's new Adam Sandler movie project to report is officially classified as set with the romantic comedy genre. Since I am such a huge fan of Mr. Sandler's material, especially the movies where he acts like an emotionally stunted man-child (oh wait, that's nearly all* Adam Sandler movies! Silly me!), I can't let it slip by my attention about the facts concerning his new project, Jack and Jill.

Variety's Tatiana Siegel, who's more polite in holding back any derision she has for Sandler, spills some facts about the movie but doesn't have more of the movie's premise save for the factoid that the SNL-er will be playing both the Jack and the Jill twin brother and sister roles in the film. How the rest of the film is shaped storywise remains a mystery for now, much like the fate of Amelia Earhart, the location of Jimmy Hoffa and »

- Patrick Sauriol

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Adam Sandler Will Play Both Jack and Jill in a Jack and Jill Movie

28 October 2009 9:46 AM, PDT | firstshowing.net | See recent FirstShowing.net news »

Adam Sandler has fallen into a relatively diverse career. After his star-making turn on "Saturday Night Live," I've enjoyed his immature comedic stylings in films like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, but it's Sandler's performances in Reign Over Me, Punch-Drunk Love (a personal favorite) and recently Funny People which have commanded my respect in showing he can do much more than silly voices and sudden bursts into angry fits of rage. But it looks like Sandler is navigating back into more comedic grounds as Variety announces he will take on twin roles as the twin siblings in the romantic comedy Jack and Jill. Of course Sandler will be producing under his Happy Madison banner with longtime partner Jack Giarraputo, but no word on who will be directing the script written by Steve Koren (Bruce Almighty) who has worked with Sandler since his days back at "SNL" and on films like Click. »

- Ethan Anderton

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Gus Van Sant and Bret Easton Ellis Team Up for 'Golden Suicides'

14 October 2009 10:00 AM, PDT | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »

One remade Hitchcock's "Psycho," the other wrote the novel "American Psycho." and they each often explore screwed up young characters, but otherwise Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gus Van Sant ("Milk") and author Bret Easton Ellis ("Less Than Zero") have little in common. The most significant contrast between them is that Van Sant's characters tend to have good souls, while Ellis' seem to have no souls at all. This makes it all the more exciting and curious to see how the duo collaborates on a script about the tragic true story of artists Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake.

The lovers, who both ended their lives in 2007, were not household names, but they were important figures in the art world, and they both made contributions to cinema. Duncan, one of the first designers of video games for girls, made an animated short titled "The History of Glamour" (watch it here), and Blake did the »

- Christopher Campbell

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Top Ten Working American Directors

7 October 2009 2:18 AM, PDT | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

Top Ten Working American Directors

A list like this is tricky to the point of madness. However, I'm going to save you the trouble by saying it right here, right now: Most of the choices on this list are obvious. There's a reason why certain names continually pop up whenever conversation drifts toward great American films. So there. I said it.

Yet, how do you weigh the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, a genius who delivered some of the all-time greatest films, but fizzled out 25 or so years ago, against a filmmaker like Woody Allen who has worked consistently for decades churning out both brilliant gems and disposable time wasters? How do you compare either of these directors against an auteur such as Spike Jonze who has only opened two films so far, but both are masterpieces?

In the end I just went with my gut. I knew there were »

- David Frank

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Loaded with bonus features The Taking of Pelham 123 storms to DVD and Blu-ray

23 August 2009 1:05 PM, PDT | Monsters and Critics | See recent Monsters and Critics news »

Superstars Denzel Washington and John Travolta are set to collide when director Tony Scott.s thriller The Taking of Pelham 123 arrives on DVD and Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on November 3rd for the suggested retail price of $39.95 (Blu-ray) and $28.96 (DVD). A remake of the 1974 suspense classic, based on a 1973 novel by Jon Godey, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 sees Washington (Best Actor: Training Day, 2001; Best Supporting Actor: Glory, 1989) teamed with John Turturro (Transformers, O Brother, Where Art Thou) to battle against Travolta (Basic, Swordfish) and Luis Guzmán (War, Punch-Drunk Love) in a heart-pounding story full of action, thrills and suspense deep inside the New York Subway system. »

- Patrick Luce

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North American box office: ‘Funny People’ not laughing so much

5 August 2009 10:19 AM, PDT | www.flickfilosopher.com | See recent FlickFilosopher news »

If you consider that Funny People is actually a drama, and not a comedy, it opened pretty well compared to other Adam Sandler dramas -- Reign Over Me opened to only about $7 million in 2007, and Punch-Drunk Love to only $367,203 in 2002 (though that was on only 5 screens, for a whopping per-screen average of $73,440; Reign’s was $4,464, and Funny People’s is $7,535). If you consider that Judd Apatow made his name with mainstream audiences with raunchy comedies, and that this film was marketed as a comedy, it’s a pretty poor opening. When you consider that likely most of the audience who turned up for the film thought they were getting another Apatow comedy, we’re probably gonna see this take a huge drop next weekend. Can I predict? I’m gonna save 70 percent. Half-Blood Prince hung on fairly well this weekend thanks in large part to its arrive on IMAX screens. »

- MaryAnn Johanson

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‘Funny People’ makes $23.4 million: Will it cover the budget during run?

2 August 2009 1:20 PM, PDT | ReelLoop.com | See recent Reel Loop news »

Not so funny for Universal

Despite rapid-fire penis jokes, a third act collapse and a rather melancholy theme, spit-wad shooter and sometime director Judd Apatow’s latest tour de fart, Funny People, landed at the No.1 position with an estimated $23.4 million.

Starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, Funny People still has some room to grow if it wants to catch its astounding $75-$100 million budget during its theatrical run. (See, that’s what happens when you have Paul Reiser stop by for a cameo. The payroll goes through the roof.) Look at the studio projections (low-$20 million to the mid-$30 million) and Universal may have been gambling on Funny People having a Hangover-like run. Time will tell.

This also marks Sandler’s worst comedy debut since 2000’s Little Nicky. Yet compared to the Happy Gilmore star’s more serious films (Punch-Drunk Love, Spanglish… Going Overboard), Funny People was a weiner winner. »

- Erik Buckman

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Box Office Report: 'Funny People' laughs to No. 1 with $23.4 mil

2 August 2009 11:03 AM, PDT | EW - Hollywood Insider.com | See recent EW.com - Hollywood Insider news »

It was a glass half-full, glass half-empty kind of weekend at the box office for Funny People, writer-director Judd Apatow's comedic meditation on fame, humor, life, and death. According to figures from Hollywood.com Box Office, it opened at the top spot with an estimated $23.4 million, better than Apatow's The 40 Year-Old Virgin ($21.4 million) -- hence, the glass is half full. But that figure is far lower than the debut for Apatow's Knocked Up ($30.7 million), and it's the worst opening for a comedy for star Adam Sander since his 2000 turkey Little Nicky -- hence, the glass is half empty. Of course, Funny People was billed more as a thoughtful dramedy than a balls-out Sandler laugh-fest, and when matched against the opening frames for Sandler's serious efforts Reign Over Me, Spanglish, and Punch-Drunk Love, Funny People is far and away the winner -- and the glass is half full again. »

- Adam B. Vary

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Funny People Review

31 July 2009 10:51 PM, PDT | newsinfilm.com | See recent newsinfilm news »

After You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, I thought I was done with the collaborations of former roommates Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow.  Having tried Sandler’s silly style, I guess the partnership thought maybe they should try something for adults this time.  The result is Funny People, an odd mixture of depth, laughs, loneliness, and ambition that perhaps works out too much material in its 149 minutes.

Never one for brevity, Apatow directs another rambling movie about relationships that delivers plenty of laughs but could use an edit from an impartial party.  What starts out as a smart comedy for fans of funny and centers on revelations stemming from a leukemia diagnosis turns into a meandering subplot about lost love.  While most movies usually span three acts of arching development, this one goes halfsies on terminal illness (actually quite Funny) and the importance of close relationships (there’s your People).  However, »

- Jeff Leins

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Funny People | Review

31 July 2009 6:56 PM, PDT | SmellsLikeScreenSpirit | See recent SmellsLikeScreenSpirit news »

Director: Judd Apatow Writer(s): Judd Apatow Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman George (Adam Sandler) is not much different from the real-life Sandler. After enjoying countless years of success as a comedian and movie star, George appears to have already reached the pinnacle of his career. There is no place to go but down. Unfortunately, that is not the least of his worries. George has been diagnosed with a rare and fatal strand of leukemia, in other words George has also already reached the pinnacle of his life (and for all you God-fearing people out there – he is destined to go down to hell). After George performs a pitiful routine at the local stand-up comedy club, Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) takes the stage and immediately pounces on his predecessor’s pathetic performance. George lingers in the audience long enough to suffer »

- Don Simpson

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[Movie Review] Funny People

30 July 2009 4:00 PM, PDT | JustPressPlay.net | See recent JustPressPlay news »

Even in its flaws and near-failure, there's something mighty impressive about Funny People. It's indulgent, for sure, but how can it not be, with this kind navel-gazing premise? This is Judd Apatow's dissection of Hollywood's comedy world, and he does so thoroughly, depicting in rich observational detail the many different paths "funny people" can take to achieve success in showbiz. In a performance that would no doubt color his future films, Adam Sandler plays a character very close to himself that paints an unflattering picture of his own career so far.

There's a lot of pent-up anger in Sandler's performance, so much so that it's enough to carry the 2 hour 26 minutes running time by itself. His self-pity is repetitive, but nonetheless fascinating and in-depth, like a sorry schlub version of Charles Foster Kane. As George Simmons, a comic-turned-movie star dying from a rare form of leukemia, Sandler destroys the »

- Arya Ponto

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July 31: DVD alternatives to this weekend’s multiplex offerings

30 July 2009 3:29 PM, PDT | www.flickfilosopher.com | See recent FlickFilosopher news »

We know how it is: You’d like to go to the movies this weekend, but Adam Sandler dying of some awful disease isn’t your idea of a good time. But you can have a multiplex-like experience at home with a collection of the right DVDs. And when someone asks you on Monday, “Hey, did you see that movie about Adam Sandler dying of that awful disease?” you can reply, “No, I prefer Adam Sandler repressed and depressed rather than outrageous and lonely. That’s so much more fun.” Instead Of: Funny People, Judd Apatow’s new film, which isn’t at all the comedy it’s being marketed as, about a standup comedian and movie star (Adam Sandler) who discovers he’s dying, and tries to change his big-fat-jerk ways with the help of an up-and-coming comic (Seth Rogen)... Watch: Martin Scorsese’s 1983 film The King of Comedy, »

- MaryAnn Johanson

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The Ugly Truth – Movie Review

25 July 2009 3:23 PM, PDT | AreYouScreening.com | See recent AreYouScreening news »

The Ugly Truth is the sort of movie that's going to attract all the romantic comedy buzzwords. It's formulaic, contrived, predictable, perhaps even stupid. These words will be tossed around rather smugly, as though they did not apply with equal measure to whatever we might list as the best romantic comedies ever. Before words are even on paper, and the writer merely has the thought, "I'll write a romantic comedy," the thing is already predictable, formulaic, and most definitely contrived. You can draw your favorites from whatever era you like, but ultimately you have not outwitted the thing just because you figured out that Watts was going to end up with those earrings. There is actually little room to play with the formula and still retain romantic comedy status, and the fact that such things as Punch-Drunk Love and Sense & Sensibility wind up on Best Romantic Comedies lists, doesn't quite overcome the reality that actually. »

- Marc Eastman

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Ask 'Funny People' Stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann a Question

14 July 2009 10:15 AM, PDT | Moviefone | See recent Moviefone news »

The comedy 'Funny People' has so many great things going for it, it's almost hard to keep track.

For one thing, it's directed by Judd Apatow, the comic -- is "genius" too strong a word? -- behind 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' and 'Knocked Up.'

And then there are the stars: Adam Sandler, the former 'SNL' star who's known for crowd-pleasing comedies like 'Big Daddy' and 'The Waterboy,' but who's done his share of introspective dramas as well ('Punch-Drunk Love,' 'Spanglish,' 'You Don't Mess With the Zohan' ... Ok, kidding about that last one).

Filed under: Unscripted

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- Patricia Chui

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‘The Matrix’ To ‘The Dark Knight’: Oscar Best Picture Near-Misses Of The Past Decade

25 June 2009 1:30 PM, PDT | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »

Yesterday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the Best Picture category centerpiece at the yearly Oscar awards show will be expanded to include 10 nominees. We MTV Movies Team staffers were not amused.

In the wake of the announcement, many accusations surfaced that this move is nothing more than a ratings ploy. For many, the allegations spring from the fact that “The Dark Knight” — a universally regarded hit and currently the fourth-highest grossing film of all time — was snubbed for a Best Pic nomination. That got me thinking about all of the other incredible films which have fallen victim to Oscar politics over the years…

2008 — Is anyone really going to dispute that “The Dark Knight” should have taken home a statue? Or at least gotten a shot at taking home a statue? No? I didn’t think so. Moving on…

2007 — There are plenty to choose from in »

- Adam Rosenberg

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Mary Lynn Rajskub Gives the Lowdown on the 24 Season Finale

12 May 2009 1:25 PM, PDT | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news »

The veteran actress who has portrayed Chloe throughout the series' run talks about the last few episodes of Season 7

Mary Lynn Rajskub has been a 24 mainstay since 2003 with her character Chloe O'Brien, and now the seventh season is coming to an end on Monday, May 18 at 8 Pm Et on Fox. The actress recently held a conference call to discuss the season finale and here's what she had to say.

I just watched this past episode and there's a lot of really good Janis and Chloe bickering going on. Had you and Janeane been waiting for the opportunity to get into that?

Mary Lynn Rajskub: I thought you were going to say have we been practicing bickering. We do a lot of bickering in real life so we were excited to bring it to television and it's going to come to a head during the finale.

And you guys go way back, »

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Exclusive: PTA Working on 'Punch-Drunk' Blu-ray

24 April 2009 10:03 AM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

Wednesday afternoon Sony Pictures Home Entertainment hosted a small group of journalists and industry insiders at an event promoting the forthcoming release of The Da Vinci Code Extended Cut 2-Disc Set. In addition to providing display stations to demonstrate how consumers can register their Blu-rays in order to earn points towards free Sony merchandise, as well as participate in Bd-Live bonus features, a handful of executives were on hand to discuss some of the upcoming releases to be offered by the studio - including Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love.

Following a formal presentation, I had a chance to talk briefly with Sphe Senior Executive Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Lexine Wong, who used Anderson's tribute to Adam Sandler as an example of their commitment to working with filmmakers for the best possible content and presentation on their discs. "When it comes to the picture quality, I think we're purists about that, »

- Todd Gilchrist

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Is Adam Sandler Really the Most Valuable Comedian?

16 April 2009 2:45 PM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

Forbes has released its Most Valuable Comedians list, and through some intricate calculations I stopped studying after high school, came up with Adam Sandler as Hollywood's most powerful laugh riot, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

Sandler is gaining traction not only because of his starring roles in such critic-proof movies as You Don't Mess with the Zohan and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, but because he can also occasionally show off some real acting chops as in 2007's Reign Over Me and Punch-Drunk Love. The number of movies he's producing and has in development under Happy Madison Productions are growing in number. And despite its premise, this summer's Funny People, which stars Sandler as a comedian dying of cancer who mentors a younger comedian, has quite a number of big names attached. Judd Apatow wrote, directed, and produced the film; Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill costar. »

- Jenni Miller

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Mary Lynn Rajskub Lets the "Sunshine" In

10 March 2009 7:20 AM, PDT | ifc.com | See recent IFC news »

"24" star Mary Lynn Rajskub (pronounced "rice-cub") is having an art show next month, which actually isn't half as surprising as the path that led to her widely recognized dramatic role as tech analyst Chloe O'Brian. Having attended college for fine art painting, Rajskub realized she could make people laugh doing performance art, and so in her early 20s, alongside cutting edge talent like Jack Black, David Cross and Janeane Garofalo, she became a stand-up comedian. From acclaimed programs like "Mr. Show" and "The Larry Sanders Show" to films like "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Punch-Drunk Love," Rajskub's career is chock-a-block with memorable characters, even if most first think of her as the hardware expert who helps Kiefer Sutherland fight terrorists. Most recently, Rajskub can be seen in the indie dramedy "Sunshine Cleaning," in which she plays the lesbian daughter of a woman who has recently died, as discovered by two sisters »

- Aaron Hillis

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2009 | 2008 | 2003 | 2002

19 articles from 2009

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