anna faris Tagged Articles at Cinematical

There's something to be said for those plain old reliable comedies, those that don't bust guts or break records but are always good for a spin in their inevitable cable circulation, stuff along the lines of Role Models, I Love You, Man and Just Friends. That last one has proven particularly endearing (to me anyway) due to the priceless pairing of Ryan Reynolds' perfect snark with Anna Faris' endearing ditziness (they also went at each other in Waiting..., to much amusement).

It's that combination that gives me reason enough for me to care about TMI, an all-too-honest rom-com reuniting these two. Hell, their teaming is itself enough for me to hope that they can do right by a screenplay written by the minds behind Serendipity and The Ugly Truth; after all, Faris did bring all the funny to co-writer Kirsten Smith's The House Bunny.

Not sure how much else there is to say, really. It's like hearing that someone's about to get your sexy, funny peanut butter in your sexy, funny chocolate... all over again.

Yogi Bear and Boo Boo are bringing sexy back -- and that image should make you ripe for nightmares tonight. If you doubt me, look to Variety, who reports that Dan Aykroyd, Anna Faris, and Justin Timberlake are set to go to Jellystone in Yogi Bear, which Eric Brevig is directing for Warner Bros.

Aykroyd will be voicing Yogi, and he really is the most obvious choice to play the picnic basket thief. He's funny, he sounds gruff, and if it was live-action it would be a very terrifying thing to see. So thank goodness this is being done as a CG / live-action hybrid.

Timberlake will be voicing Boo Boo. Yep. The man who wants to love your mother, put his d*ck in a box, and who will cry you a river will lend his vocal talents to playing Yogi's diminutive sidekick. In this update of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, expect Boo Boo to be a lot more of a smart aleck. (I was going to say "sassy," but I think that would be a far different Boo Boo.)

Though Faris has done voice work before, it sounds as though she might be one of the live action elements to this unholy hybrid. Variety says she's set to play a documentary filmmaker. Presumably she discovers the tourist robbing bears, and makes a film of them. Or she has to help them preserve Jellystone against evil developers. Either way, she'll have to talk to big rubbery CG bears, and it might be kind of weird. What would be even weirder is if one or both bears fell in love with her, so let's hope she falls into the arms of whoever plays Ranger Smith. Shooting is expected to start in New Zealand next month.

Are you one of the remaining fans who contributed to the $90-million haul Scary Movie 4 brought in at the box office? If so, I hope that series star Anna Faris wasn't what drew you to the horror-spoof shenanigans, because common sense says that she's likely not sticking around for the newly announced Scary Movie 5. Cinema Blend has it on good authority that the Weinstein Company is gearing up for a fifth trip to the comedy well. Only this time around the objective appears to be orbiting Hollywood's favorite new buzzword: reboot.

Now rebooting a franchise that, by design, is a free-flow of unconnected, topical plot points from entry-to-entry means that the studio plans on getting rid of the one thing that unites all of the films together: Anna Faris as the delightfully vacant Cindy and Regina Hall as Cindy's amusingly verbose best friend Brenda. Personally I think that's a terrible idea, as Faris and Hall play so well off each other that they are, by far, the only good thing remaining about the series. But if the agenda is to reboot the franchise, then that means they've got to go.

From the business side of things it does make sense. More recognizable than Anna Faris is the Scary Movie brand name, so Joe and Jane Moviegoer are not going to be up in arms at the thought of a Cindy-less romp around familiar gags involving various bodily functions and people hitting their head on things over and over and over. All most will care about is seeing a new Scary Movie popping up in their local theater listings for the weekend, so the Weinsteins are fiscally wise to cut out the one element of the film that's going to have a fixed price tag upfront. Considering Scary Movie 5 is bound to make similar returns with another cute final gal in its lead, the currently hurting studio doesn't have much incentive to keep her around.

Since its earliest days of development, the value of most computer animation was judged by how accurately it represented or substituted for reality: are skin tones believable, are textures authentic, is motion natural or smooth? But at least as far as animated movies are concerned, many (including lots of audience members) have forgotten that many of the medium's best examples were ones where abstraction and exaggeration were a big part (if not the biggest) of their artistry; notwithstanding feature-length classics like Snow White or Dumbo, filmmakers like Chuck Jones and Tex Avery entertained audiences by expanding their imaginations with punch lines, characters and even worlds that were anything but realistic.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is the most cartoonish animated film I've seen in a long time, and I mean that as a compliment. Taking inspiration from Looney Tunes classics, Buster Keaton, and Jerry Bruckheimer movies in equal measures, co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have adapted Ron and Judi Barrett's kids book into a true larger-than-life tale, creating a world that scarcely resembles anything that could or would happen, and manages to be all the more exciting because of it.

By Scott Weinberg (original publication date: 3/17/09 -- SXSW Film Festival)

I know it may seem sort of strange to get two "mall cop" comedies within two months of each other, but really: Aside from only the most tangential of plot connections, these movies couldn't possibly be more different. Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a flat, generic farce that feels like every studio comedy from the last 15 years. Observe and Report ... is a freaking revelation. Sick, dark, halfway twisted, and drop-dead hilarious, Jody Hill's Observe and Report is a dark comedy full of shocking moments and brave material, plus it's anchored by a lead performance that could change a whole lot of minds regarding Seth Rogen.

Set in a completely familiar shopping mall, Observe and Report is about a maladjusted security guard who finds himself with a new mission in life: Find the pervert who's been flashing women in the mall parking lot, and do it well before the cocky detective (played quite amusingly by Ray Liotta) has a chance to crack the case. Also to contend with: A bubble-headed blondie, as played by the funniest woman since Madeline Kahn (aka Anna Faris), an untrustworthy sidekick (a powerfully funny Michael Pena), and a perpetually inebriated mother who isn't all that good at the "nurturing" thing.

I'd heard Observe and Report once described as a "slightly lighter take on Taxi Driver-ish material," and while I don't really agree with that assessment, it's worth repeating because (and this should be made clear) Observe and Report is not a mainstream movie, a product of assembly-line filmmaking, or a churn-it-out contractual obligation. This is an aggressively unpredictable dark comedy that doles out violence, absurdity, and a strange sense of sincerity at (seemingly) random points -- and virtually all of Jody Hill's darts hit their intended target. As a tale of one schlub's (basic but legitimate) redemption, Observe and Report works more than well enough -- but if you opt to look a little deeper, and you will, you'll notice that Hill, Rogen and company are also mocking the most basic of Hollywood conventions at the same time.

So here's the $64,000 question: Are rape jokes funny? Jody Hill's Observe and Report has just gotten its first dose of bad publicity (not counting the Paul Blart: Mall Cop connection) thanks to a post in the NY Magazine's Vulture blog. They've posed the question: "Does Seth Rogen Rape Anna Faris in Observe and Report?" ... and, as you can imagine, this has sparked a debate among feminists and film critics alike.

Now if you've seen the Red-Band trailer for the comedy about a Travis Bickle-style security guard, you probably know what scene has caught the eye of critics. If not, here's a quick description: After a night of drinking and drugging, Rogen escorts a half-unconscious Faris (Brandi) to his home and the trailer later cuts to a scene in which Rogen is having sex with the incapacitated Brandi. Nice. When he hesitates, however, we hear a slurred voice pipe up with "Why are you stopping, motherf*****?" Guilt assuaged, right? I mean he's not raping her -- she's totally into it ... right? Well, I'll leave my opinion for a little later, but it seems like the answer at large has been a big fat whopping 'No'.

Over at Jezebel, fans have decided that Rogen and Hill have just gone too far, and that this is another in a long line of examples of the anti-woman stance today's successful comedies seem to be taking. But go for a stroll over past the New York Times and in their review of the scene, they acknowledge the rape, but also go on to say, "Before the scene is over she indicates that she had given her consent." Now Farris and Rogen have also participated in a little damage control regarding the scene in question, but unfortunately most of their answers have only managed to make it worse for those offended.

I know it may seem sort of strange to get two "mall cop" comedies within two months of each other, but really: Aside from only the most tangential of plot connections, these movies couldn't possibly be more different. Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a flat, generic farce that feels like every studio comedy from the last 15 years. Observe and Report ... is a freaking revelation. Sick, dark, halfway twisted, and drop-dead hilarious, Jody Hill's Observe and Report is a dark comedy full of shocking moments and brave material, plus it's anchored by a lead performance that could change a whole lot of minds regarding Seth Rogen.

Set in a completely familiar shopping mall, Observe and Report is about a maladjusted security guard who finds himself with a new mission in life: Find the pervert who's been flashing women in the mall parking lot, and do it well before the cocky detective (played quite amusingly by Ray Liotta) has a chance to crack the case. Also to contend with: A bubble-headed blondie, as played by the funniest woman since Madeline Kahn (aka Anna Faris), an untrustworthy sidekick (a powerfully funny Michael Pena), and a perpetually inebriated mother who isn't all that good at the "nurturing" thing.

I'd heard Observe and Report once described as a "slightly lighter take on Taxi Driver-ish material," and while I don't really agree with that assessment, it's worth repeating because (and this should be made clear) Observe and Report is not a mainstream movie, a product of assembly-line filmmaking, or a churn-it-out contractual obligation. This is an aggressively unpredictable dark comedy that doles out violence, absurdity, and a strange sense of sincerity at (seemingly) random points -- and virtually all of Jody Hill's darts hit their intended target. As a tale of one schlub's (basic but legitimate) redemption, Observe and Report works more than well enough -- but if you opt to look a little deeper, and you will, you'll notice that Hill, Rogen and company are also mocking the most basic of Hollywood conventions at the same time.

Immediately after watching the brand new R-rated trailer for Observe and Report, I twittered this: "Observe and Report is like if Paul Blart had a baby with Death Wish and that kid puked all over your brand new Nike sneaks." And I don't think I could sum it up any better now that I've had a few minutes to think about it. This definitely looks to be the darkest commercial comedy we've seen in awhile (which is awesome for people who love creepy dark comedy, like me), and I'm real curious to hear what the rest of you think.

Our peeps over at Moviefone are the ones who just released this foul-mouthed ball of freaky fantastic, and you'll totally have to verify your age, your zip code and all of that -- but once you break through the security barrier, you'll get this bizarre trailer that's hilarious and awkward and dirty as all hell. Starring Seth Rogen, Anna Faris and Ray Liotta, Observe and Report tells of a tough-as-nails mall cop who dreams of becoming the real deal with a badge and a gun. I shall say no more ... watch it over here and let us know what you think. Observe and Report hits theaters on April 10.

Having already made my love for her comedic talents quite pronounced, it only heartens me to hear that Anna Faris is up for more antics in the genre. Her next two projects, according to the Hollywood Reporter, are an untitled pitch involving the House Bunny team in which "two estranged sisters team up to land a husband" and something called 20 Times a Lady, based on Karyn Bosnak's novel, in which her protagonist goes through all her past sexual conquests out of hopes of finding Mr. Right among their number.

Okay, so they both sound like somewhat gimmicky rom-com fodder that Kate Hudson probably passed on at some point, but if anyone has proven themselves capable of working wonders with next to nothing, I remain convinced it's this here comedienne. By IMDb's count, Faris has at least four other comedies due out next year (none of which, thankfully, are Scary Movie 5), and hey, if it ain't broke...

According to a new survey over at Fandango, the hottest movie-related Halloween costumes of 2008 might have a little something to do with the year's biggest film. As far as men go, the number one movie-related costume this year will, of course, be The Joker (as played by Heath Ledger) from The Dark Knight -- with Batman following closely behind at number two. Iron Man/Tony Stark, Kirk Lazarus (black action hero from Tropic Thunder), Indiana Jones, Hellboy, Two-Face, Jigsaw (from Saw), Simple Jack (as played by Ben Stiller in Tropic Thunder) and Saul the Dealer (James Franco in Pineapple Express) round out the top ten. Simple Jack? Really? Can you do me a favor and punch the guy who dresses as Simple Jack at your next Halloween party?

As for the ladies, it seems slutty Playboy bunny is all the rage this year. Yup, The House Bunny (Anna Faris) topped their list, with Angelina Jolie's Fox (Wanted) coming in second. Hannah Montana, Gabriella from High School Musical 3 and Bella from Twilight round out the top five. Don't Bella and Gabriella look like regular girls? How do you create that costume -- by picking up some clothes at The Gap?

We posted the full lists after the jump (for men, women and couples), and feel free to tell us what movie-related costume you've created for Halloween. Better yet, show us -- in about a week from now, we'll be officially launching our Fourth Annual Halloween Costume Contest. Prizes, pictures, voting -- it's oh so much fun. Do join us.