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What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 03:05:00 PDT

In this earnest high school comedy, Aimee Teegarden stars as an overachieving straight-A student, Nova, who heads the prom committee. When an unfortunate accident ruins the decor she's been working on for the dance, the principal assigns rebellious student Jesse (Thomas McDonell) to help her rebuild the props. The movie also focuses on some of their fellow students as the class prepares for their big night. While you may know what to expect from the story, the film offers a cute look at teenage romance. DVD extras include a blooper reel and seven music videos.

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Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family

Tyler Perry returns as titular character Madea in this dramedy about a family facing a number of problems. The sassy matriarch rallies around her niece (Loretta Devine) as she experiences a health scare, and offers her support to other members of the family as they navigate issues ranging from a failing marriage to the temptation to deal drugs. Madea's antics may feel familiar to audiences who have seen films in the franchise before, but fans of the raucous humor won't be disappointed. DVD extras include four featurettes, including "Madea's Family Tree" and "By-Reen: The Baby Mama From Hell."

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Would You Go to an Adult Prom?

Tara Sharp — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:45:00 PDT

Did you have a disastrous prom and wish you could do it all over again? You can! The trend this high school dance season is proms for adults. And these proms aren't spoof-y girls' nights in, where you grab your best gal pals and don horrible bridesmaid dresses while sipping champagne in your living room. These are bona fide dance parties - prom king and queen, dresses, photos, and all - meant to give adults (mostly in their 20s and 30s) a chance at a prom do-over, although this time there aren't any chaperones, there's plenty of alcohol, and there are kids with a babysitter waiting for you at home.

I feel that once you've left high school, there's no reliving prom, what's done is done. I'd say leave the reminiscing for your high school reunion and focus on how great it is to not be in high school and do grownup things like drink legally and go home with someone you love instead of an awkward teenager. What do you think?

Source: Flickr User .MegLynn.

Prom's Thomas McDonell on Nabbing a Disney Role and Getting Used to Screaming Fans

PopSugar — Tue, 03 May 2011 12:42:57 PDT

Thomas McDonell stars as the artsy outsider who steals the show in Disney's new movie Prom, which hit theaters last Friday. We caught up with the star recently in NYC, which is actually Thomas's hometown - his brother, Nick, has already achieved a taste of fame after writing about privileged Upper East Side high schoolers in Twelve. The movie adaptation of Nick's book was one of Thomas's first roles, and there are big things in his future. He nabbed a part playing a young Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's upcoming Dark Shadows. First, though, check out Thomas sharing all about getting a job with Disney and being at ease with screaming fans of all ages.

Box Office: Fast Five Steps on the Gas to Break Records

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 May 2011 03:05:00 PDT

Ladies and gentleman, Fast Five has started the box office's engines! In its opening weekend, the fourth sequel in the car racing franchise opened at number one, raking in $83.6 million to claim the title of the biggest opening of 2011. It's also the most any of the Fast and the Furious films has made in its first weekend.

It zoomed past the winner of the last couple of weeks, Rio, which came in second with $14.4 million. Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family swooped into the next spot with $10 million, while Robert Pattison's drama Water For Elephants pulled into fourth with $9.1 million. Another new release, Prom, just barely made it into the top five with a mere $5 million.

Watch, Pass, or Rent: Prom

BuzzSugar — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:00:48 PDT

Disney takes us back to high school with this week's release, Prom. But are all the corsages and gowns worth the price of admission? Watch our video review to find out!

Prom: Harmless Fun

Shannon Vestal — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:30:05 PDT

The Disney film Prom is exactly what you would expect from the studio known for its parade of princesses: sweet, candy-colored, and completely wholesome. Aimee Teegarden stars as Nova, the typical overachieving student who is at the top of her senior class and heading up the prom committee. She has tasked herself with ensuring that the prom is a perfect night for everyone, believing that it can somehow right all the wrongs for any student who's had a less-than-ideal high school experience. When an accident destroys the prom decor she has worked so hard on, the principal assigns the school's resident slacker, Jesse (Thomas McDonell), to help her, much to Nova's chagrin.

The prom is the linchpin for several other student storylines as well: one long-term couple breaks up just before the big night, one girl dreads the event because she's worried about telling her boyfriend that she won't be going to the same college as him after graduation, a younger couple is brought together, and one hapless character can't find a date to save his life. All of these stories make Prom at once feel like you never really get to know anyone (or care), but it also makes the film easily digestible. To find out what I liked about Prom, just

read more. The one storyline you can get invested in is the opposites-attract relationship of Jesse and Nova. Though Jesse is the archetypal bad boy, you know that it's only a matter of time before those after-school decoration meetings lead to something more. It's a romantic formula we've seen time and again, yet the charm of Teegarden and McDonell makes it delightful. The burgeoning attraction between Jesse and Nova is totally innocent, as are all the other romantic entanglements. Everyone's problems are as benign as they can be, the shell of real teenage problems. Realistic? No. It's a sugarcoated version of high school. This prom itself is the most innocuous of all time - American Pie this isn't. It's really aimed at kids who aren't in high school yet, as a lofty fantasy of what's to come. Still, it arouses nostalgia in anyone who went to their prom, and by the time Jesse and Nova finally get to take a spin on the dance floor, you're happy to see them get their perfect, PG kiss.

Prom Through the Decades

Tara Sharp — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:00:20 PDT

The American prom has come a long way since its inception in the late 1890s. Prom, short for promenade, was first used to describe a simple college ball before gaining momentum and popularity as a high school dance. By the 1950s it had become more of the elaborate event it is today, with its prom courts, fancy cars, and expensive dresses - the glorified pinnacle of adolescence. I love looking at prom pics in old high school yearbooks, which range from awkward to awww. So take a look back with me at proms through the decades, and add your favorite prom pic to our Prom Night community group!

A Prom to Regret

Tara Sharp — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 02:00:06 PDT

I asked what your biggest prom regrets are here and on Facebook, and I saw some recurring themes in your responses. Most of you either regretted going or not going, fashion faux pas, and lame dates. So for future generations of prom-goers, I'd say go with a guy friend or group of friends, wear something timeless not trendy, and bring a pair of flats in your purse for dancing! Here is a sampling of the things you'd do differently if were you able to go back to your good ol' high school days:

"My regret is the shoes I wore. I rarely wore heels and I decided to wear 4 inch heels to prom. My feet were killing me before the prom even started!" - Gdeeaz
"Junior prom regrets . . . my hair was boy short and yet I still paid $60 for an 'updo' that consisted of one big 'bang curl' and a fake diamond bobby pin. Letting a makeup kiosk at the mall do my makeup for the evening: orange face/white neck . . . pretty!! Being too nervous around my date to actually have fun and not be completely awkward. I made up for those the next year at my senior prom and had a great time. Live and learn, right?!" - Anonymous
"Waaay boring date, and not even a kiss goodnight. Lame." - Elizabeth
"I regret that I let not having a date keep me from going. I easily could have found a group of girls to go with." - roseate

Read the rest below.

What Is Your Biggest Prom Regret?

Tara Sharp — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:15:19 PDT

From extravagant proposals to $1,400 dresses, are proms the new weddings? Reading the New York Post piece on pricey proms, I'm baffled that girls are not just getting $1,000-plus prom dresses, they are buying wedding-esque white, celebrity-inspired dresses and renting $9,000-a-night double-decker Hummers. I remember prom being important and fun, but "splurging" on a dress back then was closer to $300, and I'm glad I held on to my savings for college instead of wasting it on one high school night. My prom night was a blast and super tame (no crazy lost virginity stories), ending with a group of us staying up all night before going to my best friend's date's swim meet at the crack of dawn.

Whether you got a little too crazy or not crazy enough, your date was a disaster, or you spent your college fund on a hideous dress, what is your biggest prom regret? Or do you not regret anything?

Source: Flickr User gregor_y

Which April Movie Release Are You Most Excited to See?

BuzzSugar — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 05:30:00 PDT

Spring has sprung, and with it, the box office is getting a much-needed boost! If you've been feeling like the latest movie offerings have been lackluster, there's good news for you in the next few weeks, as big releases like Water For Elephants and Scream 4 head to theaters. Just check out this list of upcoming films, and tell us which you're most excited to see!