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New DVD Releases: The Pink Panther 2, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Waltz with Bashir

Andrew Payne — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:10:43 +0000

A surprising almost-hit and pair of not too surprising flops hit DVD this week as Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Pink Panther 2 and Inhkeart roll onto disc. Luckily there is one film of quality being released, Waltz With Bashir.

Unfortunately, that’s about it for home theater lovers this week except for a pair of art films and couple TV series. At least we still have the three worst DVDs of the week for some unintentional comedy potential.

FEATURE FILMS

The Pink Panther 2

Starring: Steve Martin

Ah, Steve Martin. Steve Steve Steve Martin. We want to love you, we know you’re a genius, but then you spend an entire film looking off-camera to make sure your massive check’s cleared.

But we go anyway. We know it’s probably awful. We know you’re mailing it in to finance your banjo album, but we can’t stay away from a new Steve Martin film, even if we know it’s a sequel nobody asked for, and the results will mirror our opinion.

So go ahead, buy the DVD, you know you will anyway.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Starring: Isla Fisher

It’s rare that the two types of sexist Hollywood cliche are combined into one character, but with Confessions of a Shopaholic we get the chance to see just that.

As the title would suggest, the main character loves to shop. Absolutely loves it. Just like Hollywood thinks every woman does. What’s more is that all her shopping is keeping her from getting a man – the ultimate quest of any female character in Hollywood.

So buy the DVD, and see this impossible collision of sexist stereotypes.

Also:

Inkheart – Learn More – Buy Now
Waltz with Bashir – Learn More – Buy Now

TV ON DVD

“Tom and Jerry” – The Chuck Jones Collection

Chuck Jones is the legendary animator responsible for the early days of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Shorts. In the early 60s he worked on a series of Tom & Jerry shorts following his departure from Warner Bros.

Now you get all those shorts on one collection complete with two documentaries featuring the legendary animator on this two-disc DVD.

Also:

“Bizarre Foods”: Collection 3 – Buy Now
“Girls Next Door”: Season 5 – Buy Now
“Reba”: Season 6 – Buy Now

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

High Hopes

This film established Mike Leigh’s (Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky) stark realism and focus on the working class. While many of his later films went into a bleak dramatic direction, this is a black comedy that satirzes Margaret Thatcher’s England.

Until now, you could only get this DVD in England or part of a set. Now, you can own this DVD on its own.

Horrible Straight-To-DVD Release of the Week

Three terrible movies, three new DVDs. Which is the worst? Cast your vote and tell the world!

The nominees are:

The Code

The Case to Vote for It: Morgan Freeman! Antonio Banderas! Together in a movie that completely skipped theaters and was once called ‘Thick as Thieves’. A generic bank heist flick that has ‘formulaic’ written all over it. Sounds like a real winner!

Backwoods

The Case to Vote for It: In a world where a torture porn movie opens in theaters every single week, something really has to terrible to go straight to DVD.

That’s exactly what’s happened with ‘Backwoods’ as Hilary Duff’s sister leads a cast that encounters some ferocious locals living near their campsite on a high school reunion. Creepy.

Legend of the Bog

The Case to Vote for It: Vinnie Jones, aka That Big English Guy in Movies, stars as a the leader of a group of people dealing with the attacks of a revenge-seeking mummified body. Worst of all, they all may have a terrible secret responsible for these mythic attacks.

Confessions of A Shopaholic DVD Giveaway Winners

Laura Aguirre — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:15:42 +0000

Hey ScreenCravers! We’ve got the winners of our Confessions of A Shopaholic DVD Giveaway. We asked you to tell us what it is that you splurge on. Are you a lucky winner?

Find out if you are one of the 3 winners below…

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Winner: Peach – “i splurge on things for my pet because of ughhh.. maternal instincts. i’m approaching 30 with no children & my pet is pretty much my substitute baby. anything my pet wants it can have, good thing it can’t talk or else i’d be broke!”
Winner: Ariel – “What kind of girl would I be if I didn’t splurge on shoes? Oh wonderful shoes, as the great Carrie Bradshaw once said to a pair on display,’Hello, lovers!’”
Winner: Al – “I splurge on vintage linens! I hope it’s okay since it’s not clothing related, but it’s really the only thing I splurge on!”

These winners will receive a free Confessions of A Shopaholic DVD. Again, congratulations to our winners. An e-mail will be sent shortly. Please send us your address details ASAP.

Thanks for playing and always keep checking our website for new giveaways!

Confessions Of A Shopaholic DVD Giveaway

Laura Aguirre — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:30:05 +0000

What better way to start off the weekend than with a giveaway. Happy Monday ScreenCravers, it’s that time again, and this time we are giving away 3 DVD copies of Confessions Of A Shopaholic.

This chick-flick stars Isla Fisher, a fashion junkie with a ridiculous debt and tumbling career; this is Fisher’s first leading role in a feature film. This colorful film is based on Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic, a series of novels.

All you have to do to win is . . .

Leave us a comment below confessing what you splurge on (oh, the things you dare not live without). I’m sure you have a couple, but only give us one. Be honest (if you’d like)!

The winners will be announced on June 22nd at noon, a day before Confessions Of A Shopaholic is released.

Check out the trailer below . . .

AND REMEMBER that in order to play:

You must have a shipping address in the United States
You must leave an e-mail address that we can reach you at (we promise not to spam you)
If you win, you will have one week to respond to an e-mail that we will send to you. If you do not respond within one week your prize will be given to another contestant.

Best of luck!

Review of Confessions of a Shopaholic

Mali Elfman — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:00:18 +0000

Confessions of a Shopaholic is a surprisingly poignant film mixed in with a lot of estrogen. That being said, yes it is a “chick flick” but, men, if you find yourselves being dragged into this movie, know that it’s really a funny film with more depth than you would expect. This film has two sides in it. It’s really great female, shopping movie and yet it also deals with addiction and digging yourself into a finical whole (something many of us can relate to). Although the latter is fluffed up so that a teenage audience can relate to it, the first part is not as cliche as it could have been due to the unique performance by Isla Fisher. No matter what the subject matter, she’s really great in this film and makes it worth watching.

What I like about Isla Fisher is that she’s not as “safe” as a Sandra Bullock type actress. This is her first starring role and she’s really rather wonderfully odd. Not in the “I’m in a romantic movie trying to play the odd character” she is just really zany. You can see moments where they really let her lose and the results are magical and one of a kind. The “fan dance” scene is a perfect example of how she is able to bring something completely new to the screen. She dances around like a peacock in season and seduces a man with a completely revolting dance. The scene felt so free as opposed to many other comedies. You could tell she wasn’t trying to be funny, she was just strutting her stuff and the results are hilarious.

When I think of other movies in this genre, this one is definitely at the top. I know a lot of people are calling it the next Sex in the City, but it’s really not because it has a sense of humor about itself and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Sex in the City tried to make it seem like there was more to shopping than their really is. This movie realizes how ridiculous it is to speed your like drooling over Prada. If anything I would compare this movie to Legally Blonde, because there are some solid life lessons in it. I for one was shocked when I heard them talking about the current budget deficit. That’s a big thing for a “shopping” movie. Could that have been Jerry Bruckheimer‘s influence? Or just a freak accident seeing this was based off the novels and written years ago?

Although this film was not without it’s faults. My biggest issue is at the end of the second act when everything has to fall apart in order to come back together again. I didn’t buy their dramatic device of “she’s in debt and now everyone hates her,” because I don’t see why a financing magazine would care if she was in debt. If she was selling as many stories as they said, they wouldn’t care about her personal life, they would care about the numbers. Hell, they are a financing magazine! They need to make money. So why the big secret? And why the big “I can’t believe you lied to me speech” when Hugh Dancy’s character finds out about it? You’ve been only somewhat dating this girl for a few weeks. I don’t reveal my credit card receipts on the first date, so I don’t know why she would. To me it seemed like a bit of a shoe-horned effect. Although, I do like a sweet somewhat cheesy happy ending, so I let them force feed me a little bit.

That being said, Isla Fisher is truly amazing and she is supported by a strong cast of John Goodman, Joan Cusack, Hugh Dancy, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Lithgow and more, which is quite an impressive list.

Confessions of a Shpaholic is in theaters starting today February 13, 2009. Let us know what you think of it!

Movie Releases: Confessions of a Shopaholic, The International, Friday the 13th…

Mali Elfman — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:01:04 +0000

I think I might be the only person excited for Under the Sea 3D, not because Jim Carrey narrates it, but because I just think it looks fascinating. Confessions of a Shopaholic is actually a lot of fun. And for all of you looking to avoid Valentine’s day with a cute/easy to watch movie, it’s not a bad choice. It has it’s issues but for that type of film, you can easily let them slide. The International looks far more interesting than it actually is. I’d say take a pass on this one. As for Two Lovers, Friday the 13th, and Gomorrah, they are all great picks if that’s what you’re into. So, it’s your call, depending on what you’re in the mood for…

Confessions of a Shopaholic | Review | Interview with Isla Fisher and Jerry Bruckheimer | Showtimes and Tickets
The International | Showtimes and Tickets
Friday the 13th | Showtimes and Tickets
Two Lovers [limited] | Showtimes and Tickets
Gomorrah [LA/NY] | Showtimes and Tickets
Under the Sea 3D | Showtimes and Tickets

Trailer below…

Confessions of a Shopaholic Trailer:

The International Trailer:

Friday the 13th Trailer:

Two Lovers Trailer:

Gomorrah Trailer:

Under the Sea 3D Trailer:

Interview with Jerry Bruckheimer on Shopaholic and MORE

Mali Elfman — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:30:28 +0000

Well, we were supposed to interview Jerry Bruckheimer about Confessions of a Shopaholic… but seriously, when you think of Jerry Bruckheimer, you think of about 50 different projects. And the bottom line is, you can’t sit in front of the man and just talk about shoes! The man has more money, success, and sway than almost any Producer in the industry and we only had a few minutes, so we asked a lot and got a lot of short, but important(!) answers.

So here is what Bruckheimer had to say in a brief interview about Isla Fisher, Prince of Persia, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, G-Force and more…

This was a great movie, but with your name attached I kept waiting to see an explosion…

JB: We have explosions. We have a closet explosion.

We’re used to a different type of material from you, what was the appeal of this film?

JB: I think we loved the character. I mean, Becky Bloomwood’s such a unique, fresh, interesting young girl who embodies a lot of what young girls around the world deal with. They deal with their credit cards. They deal with their workplace. They deal with a job that they don’t really like and how to get out of it. I think it’s a real empowerment, it’s empowerment for women. This girl comes through the movie, starts out in one place and ends up in another place much more positive than where she started. She finds romance. She finds something she really loves doing.

Which of your producing skills carried over to this movie?

JB: Well, you know, it’s all about the character and the screenplay. That’s the key to everything. Tell a good story and fortunately we had a terrific novel to work off of, so that’s a great help. How we put the movie together, the director we chose, the cast that we chose, it’s what a producer does. It’s putting the whole package together and convincing Disney to make it. Those are all things that help these things get made.

What did you see in Isla Fisher?

JB: Well, you see it on screen. She’s vivacious, she’s funny, she’s a wonderful dramatic actress which this movie wouldn’t work without the ability she has to pull that character off and see that she is serious. The comedic part, we saw what she could do in Wedding Crashers and some of her other work but the real surprise is that she’s a wonderful dramatic actress.

Now to the fun, short questions we were able to sneak in at the end of the press conference about all Bruckheimer’s MANY upcoming projects.

Have you seen the Prince of Persia? How does it look?

JB: I’ve seen most of Prince of Persia. It looks fantastic. Yeah, you won’t recognize Jake Gyllenhall.

Did he do steroids?

JB: No, no drugs. Just worked really hard. Well, he’s a cyclist anyway and he bikes all the time. We just had to have him do a little lifting but he looks fantastic.

Who else can we expect to see in the film?

Ben Kingsley’s one of our great actors.

Will this be a modern day NY version of the original? What attracted you to this film?

JB: You know, Disney came to us and they had been developing a screenplay on it. We jumped in and loved the concept of it and had been working on it ever since.

Do you think fans of the video game will enjoy the movie?

JB: Let’s hope. Let’s hope.

What attracted you to making a film from a video game?

I think we have a terrific story and great characters and a wonderful cast, a great director. Mike Newell is a master.

What’s going on with Sorcerer‘s?

Sorcerer‘s we start in March, Nick Cage and Jay Baruchel have been cast.

How will Cage look in Sorcerer’s, does he have to beef up as well?

JB: Well, it’s not a kind of physical thing there, so… he always looks good. He always takes great care of himself.

For young people looking to break into the industry what advice do you give them?

JB: Stay in school as long as you can. Learn as much as you can. Take literature. Understand what good storytelling is. That’s the key. Work hard. It takes hard work.

How did you get into producing?

JB: I started in the mail room after college for an advertising agency, so I started at the bottom.

How does G- Force look?

JB: It’s really adorable, really cute.

What can we expect from you in terms of new territory?

JB: We always try to break into new things.

Interview with Isla Fisher

Mali Elfman — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:15:11 +0000

The best thing about this movie, is the main thing in this movie, Isla Fisher. She’s a true comedian that moves and acts in ways that most woman would be too embarrassed to do by themselves, let alone on camera. Maybe some of her husband is washing off on her. This is Fisher’s first big starring role in a huge Jerry Bruckheimer film, and she does not disappoint. She’s vivacious, funny, and really carries you along for the ride.

Confessions of a Shopaholic, is a chick flick. There are no two ways around it. Straight men will not walk into this theater alone. That being said, it’s great for what it is and men if you are dragged to the theater, it’s okay to laugh, it’s funny!

We were lucky enough to sit down and have a chat with Fisher (who shocked me with her thick Australian accent) and talk about her lack of shopping knowledge, leading her first big film, and much more…

What was the most fun fashion discovery you made making this film?

IF: The most fun fashion discovery was to use a lot of color in my wardrobe. I’m fairly conservative normally and I just feel like Patricia Fields brought out the color in me. I now love to wear color.

Did you work with Patricia Field on choosing the outfits?

IF: I did, Patricia was extremely collaborative. I only had one request which is that I wanted Becky to wear extremely high heels so she could totter. I think there’s nothing funnier than a comedic character tottering and the impracticality of wearing something that clearly doesn’t fit her but she’s a shopaholic so she has to have it. And Patricia really is so creative and she clearly knows what she’s talking about. She did the costumes for Sex and the City, Devil Wears Prada so I kind of let go and let her guide me and I really enjoyed the process. At the beginning, I couldn’t believe we were spending 40 minutes discussing a belt. I was so frustrated but halfway through, I just felt like I began to understand that there really is sort of a science to it and there’s this incredible world and people try really hard.

On a completely different topic, where did the fan dance come from?

The fan dance! It’s always been a comic dream of mine to attempt to seduce a man doing a dance that’s actually repulsive. So the opportunity of doing that arose during this movie and I embraced it and I really enjoyed every minute of it.

Did you do any choreography or was it all done for you?

No, no, they’re all, I’m embarrassed to admit, my own moves.

Is Hugh Dancy a good dancer?

I think Hugh’s a wonderful dancer and what I really loved about Hugh is that he came to the movie and took it seriously as if he was in a dramatic movie, which was so important. As a result, he played the greatest straight man and it gave me, playing Becky Bloomwood, somewhere to go and to be more outrageous and the comedy was grounded in reality because of him. He brought so much integrity and heart to the film and yeah, he was a fabulous dancer actually. He remembered the moves, the traditional moves, far better than me and guided me through that scene.

During the sample sale mayhem you get pretty aggressive, was that something that something you were able to improv with as well.?

IF: We had to choreograph that. With all physical comedy, you have to know where you’re going to put cameras and ensure that no one’s trampled to death so we took it fairly seriously. There were a lot of heels on a very shiny surface. But we just had a lot of fun with it and we actually went a lot further. Ultimately, we shot, we took it further but we like what we kept in the movie which is just ending on her straddling the girl, rather than pulling down a rack and being removed by a security guard.

You’ve been in a number of ensemble casts, what’s it like moving to lead of such a huge film?

IF: Yeah, obviously I’m very surprised, eternally grateful to Jerry Bruckheimer and completely bewildered as to how I was lucky enough to be chosen to head my own movie. I definitely felt far more responsible for the tone of the movie as a lead than you do as a supporting cast member where you can sort of come in and muck about. On top of that, playing a beloved character from a book that’s extraordinarily successful and knowing that she was now going to be American and wanting to just capture the essence of her as properly as I could added more pressure, but ultimately, when you have an incredible producer like Jerry Bruckheimer behind you and a really amazing cast, it was just an amazing, rewarding creative experience for me.

How was it working with working with Krysten Ritter for the first time?

IF: I remember on day one, I looked over at Krysten’s page and she’d written all these notes, like alternative lines and I’m the only actor that does that and I thought straight away that she was a soul sister, because she was already trying to improvise funny comedic stuff.

How did you develop your talent for physical comedy?

IF: Well, actually, I trained at a theater school called Jacques Lecoq in Paris where Simon McBurney who’s a very famous French clown, well he’s English actually, but where a lot of the Theatre’ Complicite troupe train. We focus on comedy dell’arte and bouffant and mime. So technically, I definitely learned the skill set but just personally, I’ve always been someone who loves to tap into their inner idiot. I’ve always been the clown of my family and I’ve always just enjoyed mucking about and I’m just fortunate that I get paid to do that now.

With the facial reactions, do you plan those, practice, or what is your process?

No, no, I just try to keep really loose and stay in the moment and not have any sort of hope for what I’m going to do. I just, I’m not a method actress but I prepare at home and then I let, I just try not to be self-conscious. I think a lot of people ask how come I got the role or I got into comedy and I just think it’s because I’m willing and a lot of actors and actresses aren’t willing to pull faces.

You’re very reminiscent of Lucille Ball.

IF: Oh, thank you. That’s a huge compliment.

Do you plan on sticking to comedies or exploring drama?

IF: You know, I have to say I love comedy. I love, just love the freedom that comedy brings but I’m open to working with any filmmakers. It’s all about the story and the character for me rather than the genre.

Were you a fan of the Shopaholic books?

I was a huge fan of the books. I read them all long before I heard about the project and when I heard about the project and that Jerry Bruckheimer was producing, obviously who I was a huge fan of, I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that I would even get a meeting, let alone get the role. I literally still cannot believe I got the role. It’s very exciting for me.

Did you do any research for Shopaholics Anonymous?

I did actually. I went to Spenders Anonymous groups and Underearners and Overspenders groups and it was fascinating. There are all different styles and types of shopping. There’s trophy shopping, image shopping, collecting, bulimic shopping. As funny as it sounds, it’s obviously also pretty sad too, but I definitely learned a lot and just that it affects men as often as women. It was a fascinating experience.

Which item of clothing can you not pass by?

IF: Oh, there’s nothing really material that I can’t pass by. Maybe underwear. Just out of necessity, just in general, underwear. It’s not such a good look, not having underwear.

Have you ever had the experience of getting a bill you didn’t expect?

IF: Actually, recently I did, apparently someone had been buying petrol in Texas on my credit card and I wasn’t there. So I did have that experience but not through any fault of my own.

Did you get to keep any of the cloths?

IF: No, I didn’t get to keep it. Maybe you should ask Jerry about that.

Do you agree with the film that shopping is better than men?

No. No. I shop rarely and poorly. I definitely appreciate men more than stores.

Who are your favorite fashion designers?

IF: Oh wow. A part of this business obviously is the pageantry of red carpet and you get dressed by incredible designers, so I’d have to say I love Stella McCartney. I love Vivian Westwood. I love Zac Pozen. I tend to go for more kind of classic. I love Prada. I feel very blessed to wear any of those dresses.

If you shop “rarely and poorly” as you put it, how do you fill your closet?

You know, I do shop when I need to and I’m fortunate in that I’ve sort of maintained my same size, except obviously when I was pregnant. So I just tend to wear stuff that I have around and when I shop I just get in and out. I have a mission and I fulfill it.

Anything in your closet you wonder why you ever bought it?

IF: Oh gosh, absolutely. I try to remove those items and give them to friends but yeah, several times I’ve been suckered into a fashion that wasn’t very flattering on a small frame.

Although this movie is about shopping, there’s also a very strong warning in it about the dangers of spending which are extremely relevant in today’s finical crisis. How do you think this movie effects the average person current spending situation?

IF: Well, obviously this movie was conceived during a different economic period and the lessons that Rebecca Bloomwood learns in the movie, we have all been learning recently. So it feels very topical. I’m really proud of the responsible way that we handle it at the end of the movie, that issue.

Confession of a Shopaholic is in theaters this Friday February 13th.

New Pictures from Confessions of a Shopaholic

Mali Elfman — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:05:38 +0000

Hmmm… I’m not so sure about Confessions of a Shopaholic. We don’t need another Sex in the City or Legally Blonde movie just yet, do we? If it’s more like The Devil Wears Prada, then I’m interested. Although this film is lead by the always adorable Isla Fisher, who seems to have a sense of humor about films like these, there’s only one Meryl Streep and she’s not in it.

The story is about a New York girl who is addicted to shopping and gets swept over by a sea of debt. She is trying to become a writer for a top fashion magazine, but takes a job at a financial magazine instead (reverse “Ugly Betty” anyone?) and then works her way to the top!

The film hits theaters February 13, 2009 and until then, enjoy some stills and the trailer for the film!

ScreenCrave.com » Confessions of a Shopaholic

New DVD Releases: The Pink Panther 2, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Waltz with Bashir

FEATURE FILMS

TV ON DVD

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

Horrible Straight-To-DVD Release of the Week

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