Official HOT or NOT Blog » Movies

HOT or NOT Poll: “New Moon” a good date flick?

Katie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:50:47 +0000

HOT or NOT Poll: "New Moon" a good date flick?

Katie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:50:47 +0000

New Moon Update: R-Patz and K-Stew up in a tree…

Katie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:55:29 +0000

Don’t cry, girls. No one said that life was fair. We felt the same way after the director of New Moon confirmed that the pouty leads, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, are in fact dating in real life, unscripted. Enjoy, Kristen! We’ll try not to hate you too much.

Bet you’ve got your New Moon tickets already! Don’t be embarrassed. We’re not here to judge.

I’m curious about New Moon. I suffered through all four books of the over-hyped Twilight series last winter and was quite disappointed, with the exception of the gorgeous male lead, with the first film. It was low budget and rife with cliché teenage angst. Just like the written version. Maybe that’s what some people like about the books, though? So, if the best part of the first film was Robert-as-Edward, then I’m definitely not rushing to see the second film, especially since, in the book anyway, Edward isn’t even around for much of New Moon.

As you’ll remember, the second novel opens with a severely depressed Bella moping around Forks with a perma-frown as she longs for Edward, who is in Italy. And who stays in Italy for most of the story. Except for a few hallucinations in which Bella stupidly puts herself into danger and sees a vision of Edward’s lovely face just when she think she might die (she doesn’t), he’s pretty much M.I.A.

With Edward gone, Bella starts using Jacob (who is actually a werewolf) as her understudy boyfriend. They hang out, go for motorcycle rides. Jacob falls in love. Bella doesn’t. She’s still pining for Edward, even as she and Jacob become more buddy-buddy. It’s not until the end of New Moon that Edward resurfaces again. At least the moviemakers chose a sexy (edit: very sexy) actor to play Jacob. Good move, casting crew. You know us well!

True or false: Based on the New Moon trailers, Jacob looks sexier with his crew cut than with his shoulder-grazing hair? I say “true.” Those abs make our eyes rejoice, too. Lucky girl, that Taylor Swift is, as I’m sure you’ve heard by now that she’s dating the actor who plays Jacob, who also happens to be named Taylor (Lautner).

Also true, it’s kind of weird to date someone who has the same name as you. But in the case of Swift and Lautner, we get to nickname them “TayTay” – and that’s a catchy name we’re definitely into!

4 RomComs That Are Sweet On-Screen But Would Be Effing Creepy in Real Life

Katie — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:48:31 +0000

Oh, romantic comedies. Chicks love them, guys claim that they can’t stand them (but that might be a lie), and at the rate they get churned out, they remain a force to be reckoned with in the Hollywood money-making machine. But have we ever really considered the scenarios that these cheese-filled guilty pleasures present? Though sweet and romantic, we’re willing to bet that if these situations were carried out in real life, most would lead to one thing: a restraining order.

So let’s break down the scenes from some well-known and classic romantic comedies that your girlfriend and little sister hold as the pinnacle of romanticism but are actually creepy and stalkerish.

1. While You Were Sleeping – There’s a stranger that you’re obsessed with from afar. You (meaning Sandra Bullock) pose as his fiancée after saving his life and dupe his whole family into believing that you’re the real deal while he lies comatose in the hospital. Finally, you come clean about the whole hoax because you realize that you’re actually in love with his brother. Either that, or the guilt is just eating away at you.

So, someone remind us again – how is being an imposter to get closer to the man you’re creepily obsessed with from afar romantic (or normal)? Oh right. It’s not.

2. Say Anything – The down-trodden, futureless Lloyd (John Cusack – a classic romcom staple) falls head-over-heels for prissy class valedictorian Diane (Ione Skye). The two start seeing each other, but Diane is going off to college in the fall and wants to break things off with Lloyd. Lloyd is persistent, however, and in his efforts to keep Diane’s heart, he finds himself standing outside her house with a boombox raised over his head, blasting Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.”

Every girl who has seen this movie is ga-ga for Lloyd, but let’s get real. If a guy stood outside your house, blasting the sappiest song ever written, and waiting for you to give him the time of day, we’d be seriously concerned. File that behavior under “stalker.”

3. Sleepless in Seattle – Though this movie is the epitome of romance for some, we don’t know what’s crazier: believing you’ve found your soulmate when you hear someone on the radio or read someone’s letter, or flying across the country and stalking out their address because you want to meet them so badly – which is precisely what happens between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in this romance-fest!

Pursuing total strangers whom you know nothing about is not a good idea under any circumstances!

4. Maid in Manhattan – Another classic case of falling into a mistaken identity and not saying anything about it (we’re pretty sure that’s called lying)! Marisa (JLo) works as a maid at one of NYC’s most posh hotels. One afternoon, her fellow maid dares her to try on a beautiful dress they find in a rich lady’s hotel room while they’re cleaning. Wearing this designer gown, Marisa bumps into Chris (Ralph Fiennes), a well-off man who is running for Senate. Assuming Marisa is the rich socialite, Chris spends the afternoon with her and is smitten. Chris later calls her to set up a date and finds the woman in that hotel room is not the woman he met. Marisa then has to live down her lie to try to pursue a relationship with someone leagues out of her social class.

The fact that romance can happen between two extremely different people is great, but a situation where someone leads another person on…kind of disturbing and not romantic!

Any other romcoms to add to this list? Leave a comment!

Friday Night Date: Couples Retreat

Katie — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:57:48 +0000

This movie is like a stunning, charismatic brainiac whom everyone expects will excel as an environmental lawyer, or a Nobel Prize winner, or the next Bill Gates (in sky-high Louboutins instead of loafers), but who ends up working in a seedy L.A. agency booking gigs for Elvis impersonators. In other words, we expect that with its fame-packed cast, Couples Retreat will be an entertaining, gut-busting thrill of a show. From what we hear, though, the film fails to live up to its awesomeness potential.

The hook: Jason (Jason Bateman) and his perky, (much) younger wife Cynthia (Kristen Bell) are experiencing some marital bumps. So, they decide that only the idyllic Bora Bora can save their marriage and when they find a resort that specializes in couples counseling, they invite three other couples to join them to get a discounted group rate. The other couples think they’ve scored a cheap ticket to Paradise, but they soon realize they’ve been duped and that participating in the resort’s intensive couples therapy program is mandatory: talk about your emotions, or get voted off the island. What comes to light is that the broken couple who spearheaded the venture isn’t the only duo experiencing previously-unaddressed relationship woes.

Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman, Jon Favreau and Kristen Davis, and Faizon Love and Kali Hawk make up the other three couples. There’s an awkward erotic yoga session with a greasy, Speedo-clad instructor who enthusiastically ensures that his clients get the deepest stretch possible. But didn’t we get over inappropriate beachside hip-thrusting after watching Russell Brand’s raunchy performance in Forgetting Sarah Marshall? While we haven’t actually seen Couples Retreat, we’d bet you a Large popcorn and a bag of M&Ms that the original scene outshines this film’s overly erotic (and cliché) yoga teacher.

The scenery is also very familiar and we’ve seen some of these stars in similar settings in recent years: Kristen Bell in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Malin Akerman in The Heartbreak Kid, and Kristen Davis in the movie version of Sex and the City. It feels like we’ve already seen these marriages fall to pieces and we’ve already laughed at these jokes.

It’s a cruel, cruel world we live in if a cast of quality stars doesn’t guarantee that the movie in which they’re starring is of a certain caliber. All of these actors have flexed their mighty comedy muscles in the past, but it seems they’ve failed to work their magic to create an Old School-quality film. Instead, it looks like this movie is as authentic and creative as a can of Spam.

Go and see it for yourself, though, and then report back with a review on Monday! For your enjoyment, here’s the trailer.

Halloween Flick: Paranormal Activity

Katie — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:26:46 +0000

Whether you’re a thrill junkie or not, scary movies are perfect for a date. What better way to get that gal burying her head in your chest with her arms around your neck than a gore-filled spook-fest? Or maybe your man is a scaredy-cat who leaps three feet out of his seat every time Jason jumps out with his axe. With Halloween just around the corner, we wanted to talk about a slightly different kind of scare-filled flick that’s been garnering a great deal of attention and critical praise – Paranormal Activity.

Filmed mockumentary-style (think Blair Witch Project) and on a minimal budget, this indie horror focuses on a young couple who have moved into a new home and the disturbing presence that comes with it. On a nightly basis, they experience something out of the ordinary, and they decide to get to the bottom of it by filming themselves while they sleep. Apparently it’s totally hair-raising!

Thing is, Paranormal Activity has seen only very limited theatrical release in a few select cities. So, they’re rounding up the masses online via various social media outlets and asking them to demand that Paranormal Activity be screened in their city…and the response has been overwhelming. Over 600,000 people have demanded to see Paranormal Activity, and that’s certainly enough to justify a major theatrical release for this little indie that could.

So does Paranormal Activity sound like its right up your alley? Would you take a date to this movie to celebrate some Halloween spirit?

Click here to visit Paranormal Activity’s site and demand the movie in your city!

5 Best Bromance Movies

Katie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:40:20 +0000

Let’s take a moment to examine some of pop culture’s best examples of the intricate and fragile bonds that comprise the closest of all possible male friendships – the bromance. The bromance is often characterized by an unfaltering love for the other man, but also the ability to be brutally honest about when he is making a mistake. Through the best of times and the worst of times, these men have each others backs no matter what comes their way.

5. Old School – When Mitch (Luke Wilson) discovers his girlfriend cheating on him, he moves out and rents a house on the nearby college campus. His two best friends, Beanie (Vince Vaughn) and Frank (Will Ferrell), start spending a lot of time at his place and they decide to relive their college days and escape their mundane lives by founding a fraternity that welcomes all the misfits and outcasts of the school and town. The school’s dean wants to get them off the property, but they fight back, all the while proving that their friendship is the strongest bond they’ve got to fall back on.

4. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle – Harold and Kumar brings more to the table than stoner comedy gold; it’s also a prime example of a situation in which two friends stick with each other through thick and thin – a rabid racoon, a crazed Neil Patrick Harris, a stint in prison, and more – until they reach the most seemingly unattainable dream (in this case – those sumptuous, square White Castle burgers). If that’s not an example of devoted bromance, then we don’t know what is.

3. Ferris Beuller’s Day Off – This 80’s John Hughes classic remains a beloved teen comedy today and showcases one of the more intriguing bromances on this list; the coolest, most popular guy at school, and his neurotic, socially awkward best friend. Ferris (Matthew Broderick) and Cameron (Alan Ruck) blow off school and spend a day in the city, after which Cameron has a blow-out because he feels like Ferris has taken advantage of him one too many times. Yet Ferris is the only one who can calm him down and reassure him that everything is going to be okay. In this timeless bromance, Ferris makes Cameron live a little, while Cameron is the rational voice that keeps Ferris grounded and from going too far.

2. Superbad – This gem in the teen comedy genre centers around two best friends who come to realize that all they really need is each other. Almost-grads Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill) are feeling the onset of separation anxiety before they part ways to go to college, but a regular evening out turns into an adventure when they attempt to score some booze for a party and everything goes awry. Only after this crazy night do they realize that their friendship can withstand no matter what curveballs life throws at them. It brings a tear to the eye.

1. I Love You, Man – Not only does this movie focus on the phenomenon of the bromance, but it is also one of the funniest comedies to come out in recent memory. Peter (Paul Rudd) realizes that his wedding is around the corner, and he has no guy friends for his wedding party. He sets out on a search to find a best man and stumbles upon the crazy but lovable Sydney (Jason Segal, doing his best Jason Segal). Hilarity ensues as Peter embarks upon the close male friendship he never had, and the chemistry between Rudd and Segal is palpable. This bromance is truly a match made in heaven.
If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t seen this comedy gold yet, check out the trailer for I Love You, Man!