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Feb212008
Is Jason Segal the Next Ben Stiller?
Watching the trailer for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I am struck by how much it looks like some lost Farrelly Brothers/Ben Stiller movie. Comically vulnerable guy gets dumped and then trembles and pratfalls his way to true love with fun/foxy lady. With a cast of distinctive television actors Jason Segal (”Freaks and Geeks,” “How I Met Your Mother”), Kristen Bell (”Veronica Mars”) and Mila Kunis (”That 70’s Show”), it looks a little like action figures put through the romantic comedy motions in your sister’s dollhouse, complete with the goofiest take on a rock star boyfriend since John Corbett rocked the recorder in 2001’s Serendipity. It’s sure to be slapstick fun with a dose of heart, and I’ll totally be there, hoping Judd Apatow works his usual magic with his cast of buddies, like potential scene-stealer Jonah Hill (Superbad). And maybe Bell, so fierce and sharp in “Veronica Mars,” gets a worthy line or two. Get in line for popcorn on April 18.
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Feb112008
Welcome Back, Jane Krakowski, from a Long “Vacation”
If I had to name the movie I reference most often, it would be National Lampoon’s Vacation. Whether I’m reluctantly signing up for a mailer, rolling up my car windows in panic or reminding my kids that “the bed was very soft,” the language of Vacation is all around me, elevating the mundanity of my day. One especially memorable side character is Cousin Vicki, played by a 15-year-old Jane Krakowski. In her short time onscreen, she manages to stir a batch of Kool-Aid with her arm, brag that her father has declared her the best French-kisser, and reveal a shoe box full of pot to prove that being a farmer is indeed cool. Then where did Krakowski go? (more…)
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Feb082008
Let’s Leave Poor Abigail Breslin Alone, People
This past summer my friend and I were in a theater, punchy with outrage at No Reservations. What we thought would be as guilty a pleasure as the happily massive bowl of spaghetti featured in the trailer turned out to be the most appalling bit of neglect porn served up since Gwyneth Paltrow languished away in her equally-creepy apartment in Se7en (shame on you, Catherine Zeta-Jones). So when Definitely, Maybe showed up in the coming attractions recently, I considered throwing my precious popcorn at the screen while Laura howled, “Leave that poor girl alone!” (more…)
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Feb052008
Hey Jennifer Garner, Where’s Your Nomination?
Looking at the list of nominees for Best Supporting Actress, I’ll assume that all of those ladies did powerful work, but Jennifer Garner should have bumped at least one of them for her performance in Juno. As Vanessa Loring, the suburban professional poised to adopt Juno’s baby, Garner had me in tears halfway through. (more…)
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Feb042008
Iron Man
Not sure how many of you have seen the new trailer for Iron Man. I really loved it and I get the feeling this is going to be another one of those Marvel home-runs like with Spider Man and X-Men. When I heard that Robert Downey Jr. was cast as Tony Starks it made me do a double take but seeing him in Zodiac was actually what sold me on the choice.
Linkage: You Tube, IMDB, Iron Man Site, Movies.com, Wikipedia, Marvel
