ScreenCrave.com » vince vaughn

New DVD Releases: The Green Hornet, The Dilemma, From Prada to Nada

Andrew Payne — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:58:29 +0000

After a week off due to the incredibly rare instance of absolutely no DVDs being released at all, the DVD picks are back with a very nice collection of early-year comedies and a weird grab-bag of TV on DVD Releases.

All that, plus a legendary wrestler in what appears to be a film worth of Hallmark Hall of Fame distinction. Oh yes, it’s time for the face paint to run with a few tears.

Check it out below…

Feature Films

The Green Hornet and The Dilemma

I’m trying to decide which is shorter. The pinnacle of a rapper’s career or the pinnacle of comedic movie star’s career?

Think about it. Five years ago, Vince Vaughn was an untouchable comedy demi-god with hits like ‘The Break Up’, ‘Old School’ and ‘Wedding Crashers’. Meanwhile, you couldn’t put on a hip-hop station without hearing from Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliot, Ja Rule or Nelly.

Now, after barely any time has passed Vince Vaughn is stuck headlining a bomb comedy that comes out in January and I haven’t heard from any of those three hip-hop artists outside of a Jack FM retro day.

And it’s happened many times before. Jim Carrey was once on top of the world. Eddie Murphy before that. And so on down the line. No matter how luminous the comedic actor, they’re all in danger of winding up like MC Hammer or Busta Rhymes

So this raises the question: How much longer does Seth Rogen have on top of the comedic world? Was Funny People the first chink in his armor? Is it the underperforming Green Hornet which failed to make back its money domestically, and seems to have only broken even globally? Or was it the mega-bomb Paul which only featured his voice, but it was that voice that managed to receive the brunt of the disdain for the film.

His next slate of movie will tell if he has the rare staying power of an Eminem or Adam Sandler, or if he’ll end up with the Vince Vaughns and Busta Rhymes of the world.

Of course, you can save both of them from being forgotten, by purchasing their DVDs:

Buy The Dilemma on DVD.

Buy The Green Hornet on DVD.

Also:

From Prada to Nada – Buy Now

TV on DVD

As promised, here’s the odd collection of TV on DVD. Do you remember that Eddie Murphy used to have an animated show?

Also:

“According to Jim”: Season 3 – Buy Now
“Boy Meets World”: Season 5 – Buy Now
“Drop Dead Diva”: Season 1 – Buy Now
“Make it or Break It”: Season 2, Vol. 3 – Buy Now
“Penn & Teller Bullshit!”: Season 8 – Buy Now
“The PJs”: Season 1 – Buy Now
“The Promise: The Making of ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’” – Buy Now

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Yes, it’s starring Sting. As in Sting, the wrestler.

Vince Vaughn, David O. Russell to Tackle 2 Guns?

Krystal Clark — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:20:07 +0000

This weekend, Vince Vaughn will tickle your funny bone in his latest comedy The Dilemma (check out our review), which is great for now but the actor already has another project in the works. According to Variety, Vaughn has his eye on a comic adaptation called 2 Guns. The trade reports that he’s being tapped to star and David O. Russell is interested in writing and directing it.

If you’re not familiar with the comic, it’s probably because it only ran for five issues. From Boom! Studios it’s described as follows:

In the vein of Ocean’s Eleven and The Italian Job, Two Guns is a pulp story about cops and thieves and the men that are something in between. Trench has targeted a local bank to rob, and asked Steadman in on the job. Trench figures it’s a great way to score – considering it’s a cover for mob money. They’ll be thieves ripping off thieves. But what Steadman doesn’t know is that Trench is a DEA agent. And what Trench doesn’t know is that Steadman’s got his own secret and isn’t who he appears to be… Classic two gun safe-robbing action delivered with wit and charm from the writer-creator of Whisper!

Vince Vaughn in a comedic pulp story? Are we the only ones who remember his work as a dramatic actor? In the beginning of his career, he appeared in many dramas including 1998′s Psycho, but some people have forgotten that. It would be great to see if he can still carry that type of material, especially with Russell directing but it probably won’t happen. We’re sure they’ll amp up the “wit and charm” element they’ve described.

What do you think of Russell and Vaughn teaming up for 2 Guns?

Additional Source: Coming Soon

The Dilemma: Movie Review

JC — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:00:21 +0000

Alert your fraternity! My man Vince Vaughn is back to charm/offend/entertain audiences in Ron Howard’s latest flick, The Dilemma, which also stars Kevin James, Jennifer Connolly, Winona Ryder, and Channing Tatum. “Bro-codes” and other gender-related policies are tested under the highest of stakes in this Universal Studios release.

Check out the review below…

The Players:

Director: Ron Howard
Writer: Allan Loeb
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connolly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum
Cinematography By: Salvatore Totino
Original Music By: Lorne Balfe, Hans Zimmer

The Plot:

Ronny (Vaughn) and happily married Nick (James) are partners at an auto design firm and have been BFF’s since college. When Ronny inadvertently catches Nick’s wife, Geneva (Ryder) getting cozy with another man (Tatum), he’s faced with the ultimate brotherly dilemma: tell him or not? They’re in the throes of landing a dream project and the bad news could affect Nick’s work, so Ronny holds off on breaking the news. Instead, he takes matters into his own hands by pursuing an amateur investigation that spirals into sheer mayhem, potentially compromising his relationship with both Ronny and his soon to be fiance, Beth (Connolly).

The Good:

Vaughn/James: I’d argue that Vaughn currently reigns at number one on the comedy charts – his name alone baits vast numbers to the box office. That said, landing a role as his opposite has become a coveted job since it will undoubtedly render great exposure. Personally, I pity all actors attempting to trump the Vaughn/Wilson duo from Wedding Crashers but I’ve got to hand it to Kevin James with the very close second. His humor juxtaposes Vaughn’s in a way that doesn’t leave him upstaged. Each actor’s respective comedic timing compliments the other’s making them a lovable, perfectly amusing pair to watch.
Sports Analogies: Vaughn films rarely fail to access their male audience, but the ongoing use of sports analogies in this particular flick should strike an exceptionally masculine chord! Every featured conflict, work or love-life related, was rationalized and further strategized by football terminology. (Those of you uneducated females will hopefully better understand words like “red zone” and “touchdown”).
Themes: The Dilemma redefines (or at least clarifies) the logistics of the “bro-code,” but more importantly it highlights the indispensable virtue of honesty in all relationship forms.

The Bad:

Winona Ryder: Who put you in this movie? More importantly, who put you in Black Swan? I digress. Ryder simply didn’t fit the dynamic of this role or the picture in general. This casting choice put a damper on what could have made for a fabulous foursome. Boo.
Vaughn/Connolly Relationship: You root for Ronny because you can’t NOT root for Vince Vaughn. But let’s be real, if your ex-alcoholic/gambler boyfriend had “inexplicable” leper-like rashes that inspired penis malfunctions, came home with gigantic bruises on both his face and his Mustang, and destroyed your parents’ anniversary dinner you’d most likely RUN from a marriage proposal. Not Beth, Beth was thrilled to accept his hand. Explain that one to me.

Overall:

Exactly what you expect it to be with a little more substance than your average comedy. Definitely worth a ticket purchase if you’re trying to get your laugh on.

Rating: 7/10

The Dilemma opens in theaters on January 14.

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Will you be seeing The Dilemma this weekend?

5 New Cips from The Dilemma – Less Comedy Than Expected

Mali Elfman — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:58:23 +0000

Despite The Dilemma being promoted as a “comedy” with comedic heavy weights Vince Vaughn and Mall Cop Paul… I mean Kevin James leading the way, from the look of these clips there’s a lot more too Ron Howard’s latest relationship adventure that the first trailer led us to believe… either that or it’s really not that funny as it’s supposed to be. Maybe it’s the lack of music or context but something about these clips leaves me wanting more.

Watch the clips with some classic Ron Howard touches below…

Getting real…ly cheesy:

Obviously we have some big boy issues going on this film about how to be in a relationship which means, lots of talking sweetly on the floor… I want to know how they got to just be chilling on the floor and not on a comfy sofa.

Ron Howard loves his Tiny Dancer:

Yeap… there it is.

Lady Wood:

I’m hoping this clip is more funny in the film? If not, this is definitely leaning toward drama with a few moment trying to be funny.

You’re my Hero:

These are the Ron Howard moments that some people love and some people hate. They are overly sentimental in a rom com type of way, but are supposed to be heavy and reveal a characters true feelings… I know where I stand, do you?

The Panic Attack:

Hmmmm… leaves me wanting more.

I wonder how the possible lack of comedy weighs on the whole controversial “gay” line in the film - if the film is not a comedy does that make the line better or worse? Definitely doesn’t bod well for Vince Vaughn’s comment “Comedy and joking about our differences breaks tension and brings us together,” which I tried to back up before. Damn Vaughn don’t leave me hanging!

Guess we’ll just have to see it to find out!

The cast also includes Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah. The Dilemma opens in theaters January 14, 2011.

What do you think of the latest clips for The Dilemma? Is it funny?

Vince Vaughn Defends The Dilemma’s Gay Joke

Krystal Clark — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:43:18 +0000

Over the past week, Universal’s upcoming comedy The Dilemma has been the center of a heated debate regarding a joke featured in the film. Originally, the domestic trailer for the movie opened with the line, “Electric cars are… gay,” which was promptly removed once GLAAD and anchor Anderson Cooper condemned it for being offensive. Now, those groups are taking it a step further and asking them to take it out of the film completely, a request that star Vince Vaughn doesn’t want to grant.

In a statement released to the media Vaughn had this to say:

“Let me add my voice of support to the people outraged by the bullying and persecution of people for their differences, whatever those differences may be. Comedy and joking about our differences breaks tension and brings us together. Drawing dividing lines over what we can and cannot joke about does exactly that; it divides us. Most importantly, where does it stop.”

As a society we’ve encountered a terrifying rise in bullying and suicides related to homophobia and I think the trailer suffered from being released at the wrong time. Not only that, but the line isn’t really funny, and wasn’t the best way to introduce the film. If they wanted it out of the trailer, fine, but to take it out of the movie is a ridiculous stretch. There are so many films that feature worse derogatory language towards gender, race, as well as sexual orientation.

Where do you draw the line with something like this? If you watch the trailer, you can tell immediately that it’s not meant to be malicious, where there are some movies where it blatantly is. Are we going to start policing everything now? At what point does this spill over into censorship of free and creative speech?

If you haven’t watched the trailer in question here’s the original version:

What do you think? Is the outrage warranted?

Source: EW

Vince Vaughn and Kevin James in The Dilemma Trailer

Krystal Clark — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:01:58 +0000

How does Kevin James do it? Earlier this week we learned that he’ll star in a mixed martial arts comedy, and today the trailer for his latest film The Dilemma has been released. Unlike some people, we can only take James in small doses, he needs to be helped by other people who are actually funny — cue Vince Vaughn. Check out the trailer for the duo’s new film below..

The Dilemma centers on two best friends (Vaughn and James) who are both in committed relationships, unfortunately one of them is being cheated on! James’ character has no idea that his girlfriend is having a torrid affair with a younger man. Vaughn accidentally stumbles on one of their trysts and sees the adulterer in action and now he’s not sure if he should expose her or keep it to himself, hence “the dilemma.”

The cast also includes Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah and is directed by Ron Howard. It’s been a long time we’ve seen such light fare from Howard so kudos for that.

The Dilemma opens in theaters January 14, 2011, which is kind of scary considering that’s dump month.

What do you think of the trailer for The Delimma? Are you interested in seeing the film?

Source: Apple

Winona Ryder to Star in New Comedy

Anet Hovhanesian — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:58:27 +0000

It’s hard to remember back to that time in the 80′s time when actress Winona Ryder starred in everything under the sun. From Beetlejuice and Heathers to Little Women, Ryder played diverse roles and even won a Golden Globe Award for her role in The Age of Innocence. Recently, however, she was seen as a has-been who was more recognized for her personal troubles than her work as an actress. At least she still looks like she’s 20!

It looks like Ryder is about to have a comeback. According to Hollywood Insider, Ryder beat out people like Kate Beckinsale and Uma Thurman for the leading role in Ron Howard’s new film starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. Ryder will play James’ wife in the comedy which begins shooting in May.

The movie centers on two best friends, played by James and Vaughn.When Vaughn’s character discovers that James’ wife (Ryder) has cheated on his best friend, he confronts her directly and must decide whether or not he will tell his friend. It will be interesting to see how Ryder keeps up with the two funnymen.

The chemistry between Ryder and her costars is something that should be interesting. With Howard behind the camera, you really can’t go wrong. We all know Ryder can act, but can she make us laugh is the question.

What do you think of Ryder being cast for the role of James’ wife in the film?

New DVD Releases: Couples Retreat, A Serious Man, The Time Traveler’s Wife

Andrew Payne — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:00:18 +0000

There are plenty of big-time movies rolling onto DVD shelves including an October tent-pole film that wasn’t, an August tent-pole that wasn’t, and a romantic comedy comeback that wasn’t.

Okay, so maybe these movies aren’t so big, but we do get a chance to catch up with one of the ten Best Picture nominees as A Serious Man hits the shelves, plus a new collection from one of the greatest directors ever.

Check it all out below…

FEATURE FILMS

Couples Retreat

Is Vince Vaughn Over? It seems like if this movie had come out in, say, 2007 it could have been a massive hit. But that was before Fred Claus, before Four Christmases, before seeing Vince Vaughn rolling out his usual shtick had the viewer wondering, “Still?”

Sure, this movie did cross the century mark at the box office, but of the people who saw the movie, nobody seemed to want to admit to it. Is there anybody out there who had a friend run up to them insisting they see “Couples Retreat”? Of course not, it never happened.

So as this movie rolls onto DVD, Vaughn seems to be at a bit of a crossroads. A far cry from his Wedding Crashers heyday. And, of course, still begging the question. . .

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

A Serious Man

Here’s what’s so great about the Coen Brothers. Why they stand so gracefully on their own.

Two years ago they won Best Picture and were on top of Hollywood with a bushel of Oscars. They followed that up with Burn After Reading, which gave them their biggest box office opening ever, and had them rapidly soaring towards the mainstream.

So what do the Coens do with this momentum? They create a strangely comic character study with Richard Kind and Adam Arkin as its most recognizable cast members that’s almost completely inaccessible to most people.

And that’s what the Coens do. They make movies on their own terms, not going after mainstream success, and caring only about quality.

And, again, it pays off with a Best Picture nomination. Check it out on DVD.

Also:

TV ON DVD

“The Life & Times of Tim” – Season One

It’s not very often that HBO makes a show that is completely invisible. Whether it bombs, it rocks, or it’s just different, their shows always seem to enter the zeitgeist in one way or another.

Then there’s “The Life & Times of Tim”. A twisted bit of cartoon hilarity that you’d need a compass to locate in the buzzosphere. How this show slipped through the cracks is a mystery, considering it’s the funniest thing HBO has made since “Extras”.

It’s coming back next Friday, so it’s the perfect time to catch up with it on DVD.

Also:

“Army Wives”: Season 3 – Buy Now
“Emma” – Buy Now
“Gary Unmarried”: Season 1 – Buy Now
“JAG”: Complete Series – Buy Now
“The Sarah Silverman Program”: Season 2, Vol. 2 – Buy Now
“Vega$”: Season 1, Vol. 2 – Buy Now

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

David Lean DVD Collection

David Lean is one of the directors in the forties and fifties who really expanded the scope of cinema. He was a guy who made films that were grand spectacles, stretching the screen as well as the audience’s mind with movies like Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Dr. Zhivago.

There isn’t much of that on this new collection, which instead focuses mostly on Lean’s smaller films that are nonetheless brilliant. Many of these are unavailable on DVD and are found only in this nine disc DVD set that includes:

The Sound Barrier
Hobson’s Choice
Blithe Spirit
Brief Encounter
Great Expectations
Oliver Twist
Madeleine
The Passionate Friends
This Happy Breed

Ron Howard to Direct Vince Vaughn

Krystal Clark — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:24:07 +0000

Ron Howard has decided to step away from his mystery driven, religious epics to tackle some lighter fare. According to Variety, the award winning director will join forces with funny man Vince Vaughn for his latest feature. The film is currently untitled, but will be produced by Imagine Entertainment and Universal Pictures.

Vaughn will star and co-produce the film that will be based off an Allan Loeb script. The story will center on infidelity between lovers and friends, which vaguely sounds like the plot from Couples Retreat. Both Howard and Vaughn’s deals are being finalized, but the film’s already scheduled to start shooting in Chicago. Loeb previously wrote the screenplay’s for 21 and the upcoming Oliver Stone sequel, Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.

Ron Howard has done it all, so there’s no doubt that he can handle a comedy but a Vince Vaughn comedy is a different kind of monster. The actor will be producing the flick with his Wild West Picture Show banner, which means he’ll have some serious input. It’s hard for me to fathom those two on the same wavelength when it comes to what joke works and what doesn’t. But then again, didn’t Ron Howard pop up in a Jamie Foxx video not too long ago? Maybe he has a wild side that we have yet to see come out on film?

What do you think of the combo of Howard and Vaughn? Do you think they’ll make a hit or a bomb?

Couples Retreat: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:00:39 +0000

This week the Bora Bora comedy, Couples Retreat with Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love and Kali Hawk hits theaters. With so many comedians all jam packed into one film, I’m sure you’re all looking forward to seeing your favorite actor strut their stuff in a laugh out loud comedy. Sadly, it’s not that movie. This is definitely a film that was more fun to shoot than it was to watch.

Check out the review below…

The Players:

Director: Peter Billingsley
Writers: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, and Dana Fox
Cast: Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman, Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis, Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell, Faizon Love and Kali Hawk, with Jean Reno and Peter Serafinowicz

The Plot:

One couple, obsessed with organization decides to call it quits, but not before giving it one last go at a “couple retreat.” The problem is, they can only afford the group rate. With a promise that it will be nothing from Pina Coladas and jet skis, even the reluctant couples decide to take the journey and all four couples set out to save or improve their relationships. They quickly realize that participation in the resort’s therapy sessions is not optional and at times can be dangerous. Let the comedy ensue!

The Good:

The Setting: They’re in Bora Bora… cool.
Jon Favreau: He played the only role that stood out in the film. One could argue that his character didn’t even fit into this movie, and I would say that’s a good thing. He seemed to be the only one having fun with his character not just the setting. He took some risks and his improv is as good as ever.
Good Times: The film looked like it was a blast to shot! Couple that with a great cast of friends and I’m sure they had a lot of fun, sadly the the result was anything but fun…

The Bad:

The Plot: Everything about the film seemed forced. Getting them too the Island takes so much unnecessary time. Why not just have four couples who are all in need of a break and then cut to Bora Bora? Do we really need to drag it out for twenty minutes? We all know they’re going! And once there, do they HAVE to all come together at the same time with cheesy monologues that seemingly take 10 hours?
The Dialogue: The words “forced,” “contrived,” “disingenuous,” and “unnecessary” all come to mind when I think about some of the dialogue in this film. Thank god there were a few moments where we got to see Faverau and Vaughn’s good old witty improv routine because if not for that, there really wasn’t much there. Although if you really want to see them at their height, so rent Swingers.
Cheap Gags: I guess when you have nothing strong, you rely on penis jokes and PG-13 nudity. Neither of which were done well enough to work. They weren’t enough obscenities to get a Bruno or Hangover gasp and yet there were some scenes that were just over the top and far to long. A guy in a speedo is funny for about 30 seconds, not 5 minutes. They ended up with a very toned down feel, which made this a very middle of the road comedy. At times it almost felt as if they weren’t able to get out of the box so they were trying to pry it open.
Covering all the Characters: They seemed to concerned with making sure each character had a full dramatic art that the pacing of the film dragged on. Going back to the penis joke, couldn’t just ONE couple have that problem? Do we really have to see it with all four of them equally? EVERY time with EVERY joke?
The Ending: Where the hell did his wife show up from? “Oh, I heard that you were going to an Island at the saloon so I spent thousands of dollars and hung out with a bunch of kids in a bikini for 4 days until you found your way over.” WHAT?!? Come on, I’m one for letting things go for “movie magic” but that’s just plan old stupid.

Overall:

I get that this wasn’t meant to be the best movie of the year, but it wasn’t even fun to watch. I’m so glad they had a fun time shooting it, but it’s not fun for the audience. That being said, there were people in the theater laughing, so maybe it’s just me! Just make sure you have a few strong drinks before going in and I’m sure it won’t be too bad.

Rating: 3/10

What’s Vince Vaughn’s Best Comedic Performance?

Krystal Clark — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:45:12 +0000

This weekend, be prepared to see Vince Vaughn in his element when he headlines the non-romantic comedy Couple’s Retreat. Within the last decade Vaughn has made a name for himself in Hollywood as one of the go to guys for successful funny films. His latest feature attempts to follow the legacy left by movies such as Wedding Crashers, Old School, and Starsky & Hutch. So at this stage in his career, what’s been his best comedic performance so far?

Take our official poll and let us know when Vaughn was at his best…

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Old School

Wedding Crashers

Be Cool

Starsky & Hutch

If your movie of choice wasn’t listed, let us know what role deserved to be included in the comments section below.

Out of this bunch, which performance is your favorite?

Interview: Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman For Couples Retreat

Mali Elfman — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:09:28 +0000

This week in theaters, Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman lead the way as the “normal couple” in Peter Billingsley’s first mainstream comedy, Couples Retreat. The film focuses on four couples who all go to Bora Bora to save or enhance their relationships, with many bumps in the road all the couples find their way to their own happy ending.

If one things for sure it’s that Vince Vaughn knows how to take a topic, almost any topic and run with it. Check out the interview with him and Malin below..

I know that Jason Bateman is a big baseball fan.

Vaughn: Boy, he doesn’t miss a Dodgers game if he’s in town. A good year for him. They’re doing good.

When you guys are shooting in Bora Bora could you even catch any sports? Is it that cut off from the rest of the world?

Vaughn: It’s pretty cut off.

Akerman: The internet was like, what, snail speed. If you got one email a day you could open it maybe, maybe. It’s kind of nice though.

Vaughn: All you could do was actually get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. I’d be in the room, going, ‘I can’t believe I can’t get this game on.’

It’s just like your character in the movie, he’s upset that he can’t see the playoff’s? Is that really accurate?

Vaughn: Really, for me, if you follow a team and you’re in any of that fantasy stuff it makes it fun to watch a lot of the games. I enjoy doing that on Sundays, for sure and especially football and college football I like. But I was really thankful to be there. The place really is breathtaking, unbelievably so. It’s just amazing.

Akerman: It’s paradise.

Vaughn: I did a lot of stuff that I never would’ve done. I always think of this nowadays for all of us, it’s like you track our DNA from wherever we’re from and to think that you’d be in a place like that at some point there’s like no way ever that that would happen. Thanks to those boys out of Ohio with that flying machine.

Were there things that guys went off and did together and then things that the girls went off and did together?

Akerman: In real life? Yes.

Vaughn: Fishing and sewing. That’s just an old expression. You go to a barbecue or something and the guys are always huddling and talking about sports or whatever, and you say, ‘Oh, you’re breaking off into fishing and sewing.’

Akerman: A lot of the girls sat by the people and had maybe a pina-colada or two at the end of the day, sat at the restaurant. Kristen Bell is quite crafty. She’s like a little Martha Stewart and so she’d literally call me in my room and say, ‘Do want to come up for pudding?’ I’d be like, ‘You have pudding?’ She had everything. She had Scrabble. So it was a lot of board games and a lot of that kind of stuff. I don’t know what you guys did, what the boys did.

Vaughn: I spent a lot of time with my fiancée. We had a lot of fun which was good and then my sister was there and my nephew was there.

Akerman: We had that poker day.

Vaughn: We had a poker day which was really fun.

Akerman: It rained and so we could do nothing that day but poker.

Vaughn: The jet skis were really, going and doing that. We went and swam with the sharks which was crazy. That was great to do. I never thought I’d do that. I was always afraid of that, anything in the ocean because I grew up around lakes. So we did that and that was good.

Were they little nurse sharks?

Akerman: Black Tip Sharks and Lemon Sharks. Lemon Sharks get up to nine feet which is bigger than me for sure. It’s a little bit nerve racking.

Vaughn: It’s just like anything, if you’re not used to something it seems intimidating and then once you do it you got really comfortable and we just swam around them.

Akerman: Yeah, after a while.

Vaughn: So it was really cool to go into the ocean like that, being able to dive. I’d never done stuff like that before. It was amazing.

Was it your idea or Jon’s [Favreau] to do a comedy on an island?

Vaughn: It was my idea. I’m a slave to my craft. Have to go to Bora Bora. I think that it’s just in your life, whatever priorities you’re thinking about and I just thought that would be kind of fun, doing a movie, not just a romantic comedy that’s only about one relationship but about couples. It’s about your group of friends, right? We all have our friends. If you have a really close guy friend you love it if the girls really get along and vice versa but I think if you have a good girlfriend you really want the guys to get along because you want to spend time with your friends. So, inevitably you end up with a group of couples that’ll come over for barbecues or you go do stuff together. The fun of that is that the guys do stuff and the girls do stuff. The guys can do something that they want to do during the day and the girls can go do what they want to do and then you come back together at night. It’s sort of about that group experience.

There hadn’t been a movie that I’d seen any time recently that really dealt with couples. The challenge of writing it and editing was that you really wanted to give every couple it’s do. There’s really no B-story. Every couple has a beginning, a middle and an end and a real arc. The final conclusion, if you will, when they’re all sort of coming together, that editing style came out of necessity because you didn’t want to just sit through linear conclusions of each scene although they were all well acted and well done. You actually sit through one and then you’re waiting to sit through the second and then third and so we had to find a way to sort of inter-cut that for that to happen. So I like the dynamic of how the guys are and you seek advice from your friends and how the girls are and then how the couples interact. I think that most people have all the qualities in them to smaller degrees.

The funny thing is that everyone sort of sees themselves more as our couple but then you have friends who go, ‘No. You’re much more like that couple.’ No one sees themselves as those other more extreme versions, but we all, sadly, or not sadly but just humanely more of those than we’d want to recognize.

You and Jon were kind of in reversed roles from Made and Swingers. He was more of the party guy and you were more of the straight laced guy.

Vaughn: Yeah. I think I had done things recently, like I guess with Crashers that’s true. Although in The Breakup he’s more of the comic relief. He’s a bit more extreme. He wants to put a hit on that guy and he’s more of a kind of a street guy, a neighborhood guy. He’s more grounded than that, but it’s fun for me where Favreau was concerned. I met him as a comedic actor doing Rudy and Jon is so funny that it’s fun for me to let him come in and be an actor and give him a part where he can be funny and just sort of extreme because doing comedic roles, sit second and have the ability to get to do just the comedy versions.

A lot of times the protagonist or the lead will the burden of staying grounded so that the audience can see the movie through their eyes but a character like Trent is allowed more freedom to be out there because he’s the comic relief. So for me it’s just fun to watch Favreau in that role as it was in Breakup. I thought that he was really great and hilarious and in this one, too, he’s so driven and ultimately so likable because Favs is very funny and also has a real warmth to him.

Was there a lot of improv stuff left on the cutting room floor?

Akerman: Yes. I think there was so much improv that we could probably do a whole other film on the side, but it was great. That was sort of some of the fun parts where you have your character, your intention, your goal for the scene and then it was really cool working with these guys because of the improv. I always love it. I think it’s so much fun and so great. Although, once him and Jon start you’re like, ‘Holy shit.’ You can tell that there’s some history there because you guys together are like husband and wife. You guys should’ve been a couple.

The scene in the sauna was great. How did that take shape, was that completely improvised?

Vaughn: I always do it the same way with Jon. I’ll setup two cameras so that we can cut back and forth so that you don’t try to match something that comes to your mind on the one side. I’ve always written, this is the first time I’ve taken credit but I’ve always written a lot on all the movies I’ve done and not just dialogue but actual story and other people’s lines. I’ve always done that. So where me and Favs are concerned specifically, Jon had done a pass and I’d done a separate pass at what the intentions are of the scene. We know what the scene needs to be to advance story. Favreau has to bring up to us that he’s trying to get validation for bad behavior. My character doesn’t want to get in the middle because everything is too close friend wise and he has to be slightly moved off of what he was thinking by the time the scene is, but there’s a billion ways to do that. So we get what’s written and then I’ll just say, ‘Lets go and see what happens.’

The great thing about doing that with Jon is that he knows what the story intentions of the scene needs. So it’s not like you’re with someone just rambling and saying bizarre things. It’s all viable and cuttable choices. I think on the DVD of ‘The Breakup’, that scene in the bar where Favreau suggests putting a hit out on the new guy that she’s dating, I put on that DVD a few other takes that are all really, really good that are just completely different ways to go to get to the exact same end result.

And Peter Billingsley knows how you guys work, too, right?

Vaughn: Yeah, Peter is just a phenomenon. He grew up on movies. Favreau’s first movie that he directed was the first one I produced which was ‘Made’. I brought Peter on as a producer. First, Favreau was like, ‘Oh, we’re going to bring him on? This guy is just your friend.’ Then Peter was so tremendous, like he really directed our performances in that movie because Jon was in front the camera acting and it was his first time directing, but he had such a trust for Peter that he used Peter to run ‘Dinner for Five’. Peter produced ‘Iron Man’ and he also produced ‘Zathura’ with Jon and then he produced ‘Breakup’ with me. So we were wearing different hats but it was a similar situation. So, Pete has great ideas and he’s a really balanced, easy, smart and nice guy. He’s really intelligent but really just respectful of people.

Akerman: And positive, too. He always comes in with a good mood and you can always approach him which is important, having a director who’s approachable when you want to ask questions and you’re not scared to go up. He’s just so easy going and so lovely.

Vaughn: I think he had the strength to overcome kind of being a child star and then not having opportunities and then just really working hard to give himself a second career. So he’s grateful and he’s thankful and he’s really smart and prepared because he had to work hard enough so that he had those opportunities.

How did that Rock Band scene come about?

Vaughn: Favreau put that in the movie. That was his idea. Then we played with it and then I sort of took it to a western thing because originally that guy’s place, where he lived in the first script, was sort of non-descript but I thought, ‘He’s so British and so proper –’ but a lot of the English guys really like country music or old blues music, like The Stones always liked Buck Owens and they liked all the old blues singers. So I thought it would just be so funny if in his private life he loved ‘The Ponderosa’ and he somehow romanticized American western themes. I always thought when English bands sang, you’d hear them talk and they sound very English and then they’d sing about honky-tonk. I always thought that there was a fascination on their end with cowboys and that. So I thought it was a funny backdrop, that it’d be unexpected to put him there.

What are you listening to now then?

Akerman: Oh, everything, really. I’m a big fan of old rock and roll. I love The Rolling Stones. I love Led Zeppelin. I love Metallica. I love Rilo Kiley right now, I’m hooked on. I have to say that I’m insanely in love with Kings of Leon. I think that women can agree, maybe or maybe not but he has a sexy voice. But it goes in so many different directions.

Vaughn: That’s the kind of statement that makes guys hate The Kings of Leon.

What do you like, if not the Kings of Leon?

Vaughn: I don’t really know The Kings of Leon but I’m sure they’re really good.

Akerman: They’re sexy.

Vaughn: I think that a lot of people’s musical history, like she mentioned, starts with Led Zeppelin and The Stones. To me, the thing that I liked about the tour that Robert Plant did with Alison Krauss was that he really went out of his way to talk about American roots music. They were trying to sound like the old Appalachian singers and a lot of the blues singers and that’s really who their idols were. What was wonderful about that show is that they played a lot of those Led Zeppelin songs Appalachian style. It was really, really beautiful. I can’t listen to a lot of the modern stuff because I’ve been so exposed to and so in love with a lot of the older storytellers and I’ve always said that I think that music is the highest art form. Music can take you the farthest and the fastest emotionally.

There’s sculpture, there’s painting, there’s acting, all these wonderful things but sound and song, you can be driving your car and that song comes on and you’re like in tears depending on what it is. I think there’s something that’s happen in music, probably in all things, where when Buck or Johnny Cash, these guys, were coming up there wasn’t albums, like, ‘Hey, I have to make a record. I’m going to do this stuff.’ They really had some difficult life experiences and they were telling the stories of their lives through music. There was no end game necessarily and then of course with Elvis and people started buying phonographs in order to listen to those records and it became a whole different things.

And now again music is back to the ’50′s where it’s singles. There’s no longer albums. You buy one song which is like what the ’50′s used to be. You’re making singles, but like the murals in Belfast in those neighborhoods that they would paint about the conflicts that they’ve gone through, both the Protestants and the Catholics, that was political. That came out of, like, ‘People were shooting my family and I want people to know that this isn’t right.’ A lot of those slave songs or plantation songs, like Buck was from Texas –

Bakersfield.

Vaughn: He ended up in Bakersfield but he came from Texas. Sherman, Texas is where he’s from and like ‘Grapes of Wrath’ they migrated for work and he ended up in Bakersfield –

Have you thought of doing a music biopic?

Vaughn: I would play the guy in the front row who goes like this [starts clapping].

Vince, now that you’re an engaged guy, you have a romantic idea of marriage, I’m sure and then there’s reality of relationships. How do you deal with those two things, bringing them together?

Vaughn: I say, ‘You’re killing my romantic idea. You have to stop right now.’ I don’t know. I mean, look, I think that a lot of times we come to conclusions in our lives and we over protest them only a year later to go, ‘God, what an idiot I was. I really didn’t know anything whatsoever.’ So I just feel like I’m lucky. I think part of it is getting to a stage for myself that it’s the first time that I really want to have kids. I think I’ve been very fortunate in my career and my life has been about that for so long that you get bored of it and you’re ready for your life to be about other people and other things. So I think that some of it for me is just a stage that I’m at and wanting those things. When you’re younger, I was always under the impression that relationships were supposed to be easy, that work was supposed to be hard. So if they ever got hard I’d be like, ‘I have this at work. I don’t want to be in this.’ But as you get older you realize that relationships are work and you have to really do the right things and be present in those relationships if you want them. I think your priorities shift and if you want a relationship enough that you want to be present and do that stuff, how do you feel? You’re successfully married and in a great relationship.

Akerman: Yep. I like that, successfully married. But it’s true. I’ve been with my husband for six years now and I can honestly say that it just gets better and better. I was under the same impression. Obviously, when you’re a teenager your hormones are way up here and everything is supposed to be perfect and he’s supposed to ride in on a white horse which never happens. He might come on a bicycle, but it’s one of those things where along the way it really is easy. Of course it’s work but it’s not hard work where it’s like, ‘Oh, God, I don’t want to do this.’ It’s more like, ‘I want to do this because it’s for him –’ or vice versa and it’s just been something where for the first four years I was like, ‘OK. Something is going to happen. Something is going to get messed up because this is just too easy.’ But when you find the right person all that work becomes easy and enjoyable. I’m pretty damn lucky that I’ve got a good husband. And he cooks, too, which is a big bonus.

Vaughn: I’ll tell you, Willy Nelson said this to me. He said, ‘What is the world’s shortest fairy tale?’ I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘A man asks him his sweetheart to marry him. She says no and they live happily ever after.’

Check out Vince, Malin, and the rest of the cast in Couples Retreat October 9th. Watch the trailer below…

ScreenCrave.com » vince vaughn

New DVD Releases: The Green Hornet, The Dilemma, From Prada to Nada

Feature Films

TV on DVD

And Just So You Know, This DVD Exists…

Related Posts

Vince Vaughn, David O. Russell to Tackle 2 Guns?

Related Posts

The Dilemma: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 7/10

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Related Posts

5 New Cips from The Dilemma – Less Comedy Than Expected

Related Posts

Vince Vaughn Defends The Dilemma’s Gay Joke

Related Posts

Vince Vaughn and Kevin James in The Dilemma Trailer

Related Posts

Winona Ryder to Star in New Comedy

Related Posts

New DVD Releases: Couples Retreat, A Serious Man, The Time Traveler’s Wife

FEATURE FILMS

TV ON DVD

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

Related Posts

Ron Howard to Direct Vince Vaughn

Related Posts

Couples Retreat: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 3/10

Related Posts

What’s Vince Vaughn’s Best Comedic Performance?

Related Posts

Interview: Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman For Couples Retreat

Related Posts