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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller stories: 17 news summaries

 The Worst One-Note Actors 

They grind out the same performance again and again

Oct 7, 09 6:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - "It’s a sad time to be a cinephile," laments Branwyn Lancourt, who heaps particular scorn on "one-note wonders"—actors who give the same performance in every film. He lays out the 5 worst offenders for Faster Times:
  • Kristen Stewart. Her acting is nothing more
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
film • Jennifer Aniston • Michael Cera • Ben Stiller • actor • Will Ferrell • Kristen Stewart

BOX OFFICE ROUNDUP

 Stiller's Museum 
 Beats Terminator 


May 24, 09 4:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - Even the Terminator couldn’t beat Ben Stiller's Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, which banked $53.5 million this weekend, Reuters reports. Terminator Salvation finished second with $43.0 million—but did haul in a $56.4 million 4-day total after opening Thursday. Star Trek ($22 million),... More »

MORE ABOUT:
entertainment • film • box office • Ben Stiller • Star Trek • Terminator Salvation • Angels & Demons

MOVIE REVIEW

 Museum Cluttered But Fun 

Madcap sequel to kids' comedy crams in the characters

May 22, 09 7:51 AM CDT
(Newser) - Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian is a lively improvement on its predecessor, even if it suffers a bit from information overload, say critics.
  •  Betsey Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: With its legions of museum exhibit-come-to life characters, the sequel resembles "not so much a movie
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
movie review • Ben Stiller • Ricky Gervais • Amy Adams • Hank Azaria

 Best and Worst of Oscar Night 

Funny and un-funny moments abound at ceremony

Feb 23, 09 7:12 AM CST
(Newser) - Oscar night was filled with highs and lows, from the predictably inspirational moments when Kate Winslet finally won and Heath Ledger’s family received his posthumous award, to the cheap shot of producers cutting to Angelina Jolie’s face during Jennifer Aniston’s presenter speech. More from the Los Angeles ... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Angelina Jolie • Academy Awards • awards • award show • Jennifer Aniston • Heath Ledger • Ben Stiller • Sean Penn • Bill Maher • Joaquin Phoenix • movies • Jessica Biel • Pineapple Express • Kate Winslet • Hugh Jackman • Oscars • Bill Maher Grid

MOVIE REVIEW

 Madagascar Sequel 
 Not Wildly Different 


Nov 7, 08 9:09 AM CST
(Newser) - Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa brings back the on-the-run New York menagerie, and DreamWorks hasn't monkeyed much with the first movie's winning, if slightly tired, formula, say critics. The celebrity-voiced animals' new adventure "is aimed mostly at children and should score a direct hit," Kirk Honeycutt writes in the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
animation • movie review • DreamWorks • Ben Stiller • Chris Rock • movies • animated movie • David Schwimmer

 Thunder Holds Onto Top Spot 

The House Bunny hops to second place

Aug 24, 08 6:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - Tropic Thunder banked $16.1 million to become the third flick this summer to win two straight weekend box office crowns, Variety reports. Sorority laffer The House Bunny earned $15.1 million to debut in second, followed by Universal’s remake of Death Race ($12.3 million), The Dark ... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Hollywood • film • box office • Robert Downey Jr. • The Dark Knight • Ben Stiller • Star Wars • Jack Black • movies

Thunder Rolls at Box Office


Aug 17, 08 6:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - Hollywood spoof Tropic Thunder bombarded the box office this weekend by banking $26 million in top spot, Variety reports. Batman flick The Dark Knight fell to second but raked in $16.8 million and became the second-highest grossing domestic pic ever. Filling out the top five were Star Wars: The ... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Hollywood • film • box office • Robert Downey Jr. • The Dark Knight • Ben Stiller • Star Wars • Jack Black • movies • Tropic Thunder

OPINION

How Thunder's Joke Hurts
the Disabled

'Retard' a painful word for mother of daughter with Downs

Aug 16, 08 7:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Patricia E. Bauer suffers every time her Downs syndrome daughter hears the word "retard." When Bauer saw ads for Tropic Thunder, which jokes about retardation, they echoed every insult that her blond, blue-eyed daughter had endured for 24 years. After weeks of debate, Bauer remains stunned by... More »

MORE ABOUT:
marketing • mental retardation • disability • DreamWorks • Ben Stiller • movies • Tropic Thunder • Simple Jack • disability rights

MOVIE REVIEW

 Tropic Thunder
 Declares Comedy War

No targets are safe in Ben Stiller's gross-out war comedy

Aug 13, 08 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - The action comedy Tropic Thunder, a send-up of Vietnam War movies, crosses some lines—intentionally. In fact, Peter Hartlaub writes in the San Francisco Chronicle, "if you're not offended by at least one aspect of this film, then you're probably not getting out enough." But it has... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Tom Cruise • comedy • movie review • DreamWorks • Robert Downey Jr. • Ben Stiller • Jack Black • Tropic Thunder

Glossies

 The 'Summer of Downey'

For the first time, he's a genuine superstar

Aug 11, 08 8:53 AM CDT
(Newser) - After "many long, cold, hard winters," it's finally the "summer of Downey," writes Erik Hedegaard in Rolling Stone. The success of Iron Man has turned the 43-year-old mercurial actor into a certified mega-star, raising the question of how he will deal with it all. "I'm... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Rolling Stone • Robert Downey Jr. • Ben Stiller • Jack Black • Iron Man • Tropic Thunder

Studios Bet Big on R-Rated Comedies

Risqué humor draws smaller crowds, but stars can cut loose

Aug 5, 08 8:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Movie studios are gambling on R-rated comedies more than ever as audiences open up to raunchier humor and stars push to showcase their talent in a less restricted setting, the AP reports. PG-13 flicks almost always draw bigger crowds, but R-rated features like Sex and the City, Wedding Crashers, and... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Tom Cruise • MPAA • comedy • Sex and the City • Ben Stiller • Jack Black • Knocked Up • movies • Tropic Thunder • R-rated • Wedding Crashers

 The 10 Best-Paid Actors 

From the Fresh Prince to Captain Jack Sparrow, stars aren't sweating the small notes

Jul 23, 08 11:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hancock isn't the "have you seen it" superhero movie of the season, but star Will Smith isn't crying in his beer: The ex-Fresh Prince raked in $80 million in the year that ended June 1. The rest of the Forbes top 10:
  1. Johnny Depp ($72 million)
  2. Eddie
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Hollywood • Leonardo DiCaprio • Johnny Depp • list • celebrity • salary • Adam Sandler • Ben Stiller • Forbes • Eddie Murphy • Will Smith • Nicolas Cage • Will Ferrell • Bruce Willis • movies • Mike Myers

 A Comic Star is Born? 

Much to his surprise, Danny McBride finds himself in demand

May 29, 08 9:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - He didn’t plan it this way, but Danny McBride will end up in three of the summer’s biggest comedies, the LA Times reports. In The Foot Fist Way, Pineapple Express, and Tropic Thunder, viewers will see McBride get beaten, shot, blown up with a grenade, and tortured—all... More »

MORE ABOUT:
comedy • Ben Stiller • screenwriters • comedian • Danny Mcbride • The Foot Fist Way • Pineapple Express • Tropic Thunder

Dallas Dilemma: Where to Reshoot JR

City battles to live down TV show, competes to be movie location

Dec 24, 07 1:51 PM CST
(Newser) - Dallas has tried for years to disassociate itself from 'Dallas,' the cheesy '80s soap opera that's so iconic that the fictional scheming oil baron JR Ewing is still the city's biggest celebrity—16 years after the show was canceled. So it's with considerable cringing that officials find themselves wooing... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Saudi Arabia • John Travolta • Texas • Dallas • Louisiana • Ben Stiller • JR Ewing • Who Shot JR? • movies

Stiller Feels Heartbreak as Flick Takes 2nd

Farrelly Brothers romp can't break Rock-solid The Game Plan

Oct 7, 07 6:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - Ben Stiller stumbled with The Heartbreak Kid this weekend, a weak opening compared to his recent efforts. A mere $14 million return held it at 2nd behind a still-strong The Game Plan, which raked in $16.3 million in a moderate 29% drop. The Rock's vehicle has earned $42.8... More »

MORE ABOUT:
box office • Ang Lee • Lust, Caution • Ben Stiller • Into the Wild • Kingdom • The Rock • Michael Clayton • heartbreak kid • fox searchlight • movies

Owen Wilson Goes Home After Suicide Attempt

Actor remains in 24/7 care of family, friends

Sep 3, 07 9:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - Actor Owen Wilson went home Saturday from the hospital, where he had been recovering from a reported suicide attempt the previous Sunday. He is being closely watched by his brothers Andrew and Luke Wilson and other family and friends, according to People. Wilson is reportedly in “bad mental shape”... More »

MORE ABOUT:
suicide • depression • Owen Wilson • Ben Stiller • Luke Wilson • The Darjeeling Limited • actor

Owen Wilson Drops Out of Next Movie

Drugs, heartbreak
may have been behind suicide attempt

Aug 29, 07 3:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - Owen Wilson won’t appear in Tropic Thunder after an alleged suicide attempt that's made the actor tabloid fodder, Fox News reports. Wilson was to join the production next week in Hawaii but has struck a “mutual agreement” with director Ben Stiller. The news comes on the heels of... More »

MORE ABOUT:
suicide • Hollywood • cocaine • Owen Wilson • Ben Stiller • Kate Hudson • actor • movies

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