Film & TV
Whip It Good
Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It, effectively straddles the line between indie flick and big-budget Hollywood feature, dropping A-list stars into a rural Texas landscape. The film follows Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) as she finds an “out” from her small hometown of Bodeen, Texas.
Guilty Pleasures: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
Just ask yourself one question: why wouldn’t you want a pair of thrift store jeans that magically fit you and your three best friends with completely different body types?
Lie to me
Set in an alternate reality in which the human race is not able to lie, The Invention of Lying is British master comedian Ricky Gervais's first foray into directing. He creates a cinematic world whose blunt inhabitants constantly remind his protagonist, Mark Bellison, that he is a “chubby little loser.” This brutal honesty manifests itself in other ways, too; nursing homes are referred to as places “where old, lonely people live.” Mark is in a rut, jobless and struggling with romance, as the woman that he loves, Anna (Jennifer Garner), does not find him a suitable genetic match.
Group Mentality
Whether they’re rocking out on a tour bus, planning a Vegas heist, reading Thoreau or skipping detention, you know these famous movie groups make you want to hop on the bandwagon and join in on the fun.
Seem Fame-Iliar?
Watching Fame is kind of like a Theos downtown. At first everything is spinning and you are not quite sure how the man at the door swindled ten dollars away from you.
Not That Bright
Jane Campion’s Bright Star is a romantic period piece about the fated love between poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his neighbor, Ms. Brawne, played beautifully by Abbie Cornish.
To the Max
n anticipation of the September 25 release of I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, the film adaptation of his best-selling book of the same name, Tucker Max is premiering his movie across the country on a month-long promotional tour.
Plenty of Impact
Street took a minute to sit down and speak with directors Justin Schein and Laura Gabbert to discuss their latest film, No Impact Man, and its impact on the environmental community.
So Much For Sisterhood
Cat fights, date rape drugs and nudity. At the state school to end all state schools, the Theta Pi sisters sure know how to bring the drama. After a silly prank ends in a girl’s death, the sorority queen bee (Leah Pipes) convinces her sisters to dump the body into an abandoned mine shaft.
Going Green
Despite the recent “eco-movement,” few trendy environmentalists would consider trying Colin Beavan’s (the self-proclaimed “No Impact Man”) approach to reducing our environmental footprint: no electricity, no new clothing and possessions, only locally-grown food and no energy-guzzling transportation for a whole year.
MAXimum Debauchery
This past year, the box-office has been inundated with a host of so-called “buddy comedies” — films focused on male camaraderie that an overexposure to testosterone inspires.
Guilty Pleasures: Hairspray (2007)
Who wouldn’t love John Travolta in drag and Zac Efron with a Jheri curl? Adam Shankman’s adaptation of the Broadway smash Hairspray hit the big screen with the same impact it had on the stage.
Best in Show
Turning a beloved Broadway musical into a Hollywood film isn’t as easy as you’d think. On screen, stage productions expand onto full sets, often with A-list stars and big-name directors.
Exposing Anna
Street: What led you to make a documentary about Vogue and Anna Wintour? Cutler: Anna is this extraordinary cultural figure.
In Vogue
Director R.J. Cutler’s The September Issue is a fly-on-the-wall look into the life of the elusive Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
Guilty Pleasures: Bridget Jones' Diary (2001)
Thirty, single and overweight. Every woman’s worst nightmare is Bridget Jones’s reality. Renée Zellweger stars as the awkward yet adorable heroine who keeps a diary to record her endeavors to lose weight, stop smoking and find Mr. Right.
Weighty Roles
As Matt Damon demonstrated this week, sometimes even movie stars sacrifice their typically enviable bodies for the sake of their roles.
Bon Appetit!
Before the blogosphere blew up, Julie Powell started the Julie/Julia Project in 2002. The objective?
British Satire Comes Stateside
If Monty Python wasn’t evidence enough, In The Loop is proof that the Brits are comedic geniuses.
