• 'Twilight's' 'Breaking Dawn,' Kristen Stewart top list of 2013 Razzies

    Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in "Breaking Dawn Part II."

    By Natalie Finn, E! Online

    Once again, the "Twilight" saga has been deemed so much swill by Razzie voters. "Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" leads the field heading into the 33rd Golden Raspberry Awards with a whopping 11 nominations, meaning it's up for dishonor in every category, including Worst Picture, Actor, Actress, Ensemble and Director.

    They even doubled up on Kristen Stewart, making her Worst Actress nod a twofer, for "Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" and "Snow White and the Huntsman." (Think she'll show up like Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock have good-naturedly done in the past?)

    The "Twilight" bean counters probably aren't losing any sleep over the Razzie noms

    Alas, because it's nominated twice in the Worst Screen Couple category, "Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" will only be able to tie last year's all-time best (er, worst) showing by "Jack and Jill," which swept all 10 categories.

    Adam Sandler has plenty of chances to keep his streak alive, his father-son "comedy" "That's My Boy" next up with nine nominations. 

    On the flip side, see what's in the running for the 2013 Golden Globes 

    "Battleship" sunk further into the bowels of cinema history by collecting seven nods, with both Rihanna and Brooklyn Decker getting dinged in the Worst Supporting Actress category.

    The Razzies will be handed out Feb. 23, the day before the Academy Awards.

    20 movies to see before Oscar night (hint: not the ones mentioned in this story)

    Here's the complete list of nominees for the 2013 Golden Raspberry Awards:

    Worst Picture

    • "Battleship"
    • "The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure"
    • "That's My Boy"
    • "A Thousand Words"
    • "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2"

    Worst Director 

    • Sean Anders, "That's My Boy"
    • Peter Berg, "Battleship"
    • Bill Condon, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2"
    • Tyler Perry, "Good Deeds/Madea's Witness Protection"
    • John Putch, "Atlas Shrugged: Part 2" 

    Worst Actress

    • Katherine Heigl, "One for the Money"
    • Milla Jovovich, "Resident Evil: Retribution"
    • Tyler Perry, "Madea's Witness Protection"
    • Kristen Stewart, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2," "Snow White and the Huntsman"
    • Barbra Streisand, "The Guilt Trip"

    Worst Actor

    • Nicolas Cage, "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," "Seeking Justice"
    • Eddie Murphy, "A Thousand Words"
    • Robert Pattinson, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2"
    • Tyler Perry, "Alex Cross," "Good Deeds"
    • Adam Sandler, "That's My Boy"

    Worst Supporting Actress

    • Jessica Biel, "Playing for Keeps," "Total Recall"
    • Brooklyn Decker, "Battleship," "What to Expect When You're Expecting"
    • Ashley Greene, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2"
    • Jennifer Lopez, "What to Expect When You're Expecting"
    • Rihanna, "Battleship"

    Worst Supporting Actor

    • David Hasselhoff, "Piranha 3D"
    • Taylor Lautner, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn --  Part 2"
    • Liam Neeson, "Battleship," "Wrath of the Titans"
    • Nick Swardson, "That's My Boy"
    • Vanilla Ice, "That's My Boy"

    Worst Screen Ensemble

    • "Battleship"
    • "The Oogieloves in the Balloon Adventure"
    • "That's My Boy"
    • "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2"
    • "Madea's Witness Protection"

    Worst Screenplay  

    • "Atlas Shrugged: Part 2"
    • "Battleship"
    • "That's My Boy"
    • "A Thousand Words"
    • "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2"

    Worst Remapke, Rip-off or Sequel 

    • "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance"
    • "Piranha 3D"
    • "Red Dawn"
    • "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2"
    • "Madea's Witness Protection"

    Worst Screen Couple

    • Any two cast members from "The Jersey Shore" in "The Three Stooges"
    • Mackenzie Foy and Taylor Lautner in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2"
    • Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn --  Part 2"
    • Tyler Perry and his drag in "Madea's Witness Protection"
    • Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, Leighton Meester or Susan Sarandon in "That's My Boy" 

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  • Bloodless 'Hotel Transylvania' no monster smash

    Sony Pictures Animation

    Dracula (Adam Sandler) and Johnnystein (Andy Samberg) in "Hotel Transylvania."

    By Michael Rechtshaffen , The Hollywood Reporter

    REVIEW: The second feature in as many months to contain animated zombies (and Tim Burton’s "Frankenweenie" lurking just around the corner), "Hotel Transylvania" checks in as an anemic example of pure concept over precious little content.

    Despite the proven talents of first-time feature director Genndy Tartakovsky ("Dexter’s Laboratory"), writers Peter Baynham ("Arthur Christmas") and SNL vet Robert Smigel, and a voice cast headed by Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, the collaboration falls flat virtually from the get-go, serving up half-hearted sight gags that have a habit of landing with an ominous thud.

    Being given a public airing at the Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its official Sept. 28 opening, the film could initially benefit from a monster marketing push from Sony, but it’s unlikely the “No Vacancy” sign will be lit for long.

    Assuming an unsteady Transylvanian accent which, like his bat wings, tends to flit in and out of the picture, Sandler’s overprotective daddy Dracula is having trouble shielding his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) from outside elements on the eve of her 118th birthday.

    Determined to shut himself off from those elements after the death of his wife a century or so earlier at the hands of an angry mob, Dracula had constructed a refuge of an exclusive resort where he and his monstrous ilk could feel free to be themselves.

    But when a party crasher turns up in the form of Jonathan (Samberg), a slacker human backpacker who catches Mavis’ eye, the Count finds it increasingly difficult to keep her under his wing.

    While director Tartakovsky’s retro pop sensibilities served Cartoon Network well with the likes of "Dexter’s Laboratory," "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Samurai Jack," and "Hotel Transylvania" has an undeniable visually zippy style, the ghost of a script by Baynham and Smigel provides him with very little of substance.


    For the most part there’s just a lot of dashing about the hotel’s cavernous hallways as the assembled voice cast (also including Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade and Cee Lo Green) attempts to lend some personality to the underdeveloped characters.

    Ironically, the scattered enterprise exhibits signs of life when the characters leave the confines of the hotel, but that hint of something more arrives too late in the game.

    And while those 3-D glasses really bring nothing to the party, Mark Mothersbaugh’s lively score adds a ghoulish cool to the otherwise uninspired proceedings.

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  • Tom Cruise earned $75 million to top list of highest paid actors

    By Christine Kearney, Reuters

    NEW YORK -- Tom Cruise led Forbes' annual list of the 100 highest paid actors released on Tuesday, earning nearly twice that of second place Leonardo DiCaprio and recapturing his spot among Hollywood's top-earning performers after his recent blockbuster movie "Mission: Impossible."

    Slideshow:

    Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

    Launch slideshow

    Cruise, who turned 50 years old on Tuesday amid speculation over whether his box office pull could be hurt by his impending divorce from Katie Holmes, which was revealed late last week, earned $75 million between May 2011 and May 2012, Forbes said.

    The star is coming under close scrutiny after Holmes filed for divorce and sought sole custody of their young daughter, Suri. Some have questioned his affiliation with the Church of Scientology, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who likened its practices to a cult.

    Forbes said Cruise in particular had enjoyed a successful year after "Mission Impossible -- Ghost Protocol," released last December, earned more than $700 million at global box offices.

    His career resurgence followed negative publicity several years ago due to a couch-jumping episode on Oprah Winfrey's talk show and some rambling thoughts on Scientology in media interviews and in a YouTube video.

    Last year's top earner DiCaprio, 37, tied for second place on the list with funnyman Adam Sandler, 45, both with $37 million.


    DiCaprio's earnings dropped after his 2010 "Inception," grossed $825 million at the global box office while his last film, "J. Edgar" disappointed at the box office. Sandler's income included his paycheck from 2011 film "Jack and Jill."

    Former professional wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, 40, came in fourth, earning $36 million including from his film "Fast Five" that took in $626 million worldwide, and at No. 5 was comedian Ben Stiller with $33 million, whose next film "The Watch" about a group of Neighborhood Watch dads, is due for release in July.

    In compiling the list, Forbes considers factors including upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

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  • Adam Sandler: Without movies, 'What else am I supposed to do with my life?'

    By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

    It seemed that everyone was caught up in Justin Bieber fever Friday morning -- and Adam Sandler, who visited TODAY to talk about his new film with Andy Samberg, "That's My Boy," was not immune.

    "My 6-year-old has a Bieber toothbrush!" he told Ann Curry. 

    But Sandler is really best when he's channeling his own inner 6-year-old -- as he appears to do in "That's My Boy," where he plays a man who never really grew up even though he had a son (Samberg) to raise, and who is now dealing with the consequences. 

    "We knew that this was a filthy movie right out of the gate, so we went straight filth and enjoyed embracing the dirtiness," he said, advising parents not to bring their young children.


    With a per-film average gross of $72.4 million and having grossed over $3 billion since he first started making movies in the 1990s, Sandler could stop acting and writing tomorrow and retire wealthy, but he said he probably wouldn't be happy if he did that.

    "What else am I supposed to do with my life?" he asked. "I make movies; I like making movies. When I'm not making them I kind of stare at the wall and say, 'Now what?' I hang out with my kids a lot. I hang out with the wife a lot. We have fun together, but I like to work."

    So expect to see more Sandler films in the future. Meanwhile, "That's My Boy" opens June 15.

    Will you go see "That's My Boy"? Let us know on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest!

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  • Sandler up to usual shenanigans in 'That's My Boy'

    Tracy Bennett / AP

    Adam Sandler and 'SNL's' Andy Samberg in "That's My Boy."

    By Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter

    By now a well-recognized brand unto themselves, Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison production company represent a firmly entrenched comedy formula that can claim a global fan base prepared to follow wherever the laughs may lead. With enough wedding-related shenanigans to pull in the date crowd, the guffaw-to-gag ratio remains relatively respectable, though there’s nothing here that hasn’t been attempted many times over. Resistance is futile, however, and will hardly prevent the middling "That’s My Boy" from opening to brisk business, most likely in the midrange of recent Sandler releases.

    More from THR: Photos - '90s all over again: "That's My Boy" premiere draws Sandler, Spade ... and Vanilla Ice

    Donny Berger (Sandler) is a burned-out former reality TV star with no job and practically no family, at least none who stand by him. Now well into his 40s, he’s infamous for having slept with his eighth-grade teacher (currently serving a 30-year sentence in the Massachusetts penal system), fathering a son with her while still a teen and leveraging his notoriety to launch a lucrative TV show and series of celebrity endorsements. But he’s pissed it all away and dodged paying taxes in the process -- now he has a $43,000 IRS bill that will land him in jail if he can’t quickly raise the cash to pay it off.

    He also has neglected his son Todd (Andy Samberg), who moved away as soon as he turned 18 and hasn’t spoken with his epically incompetent dad ever since. Despite his traumatic childhood and a bucketful of neuroses, Todd -- whose birth name is Han Solo Berger -- is now a wealthy and successful hedge fund manager who’s about to marry the woman of his dreams. The last thing he expects is for his estranged father to show up, which Donny does in classic wedding-crasher style after devising an unsavory scheme to settle his tax debt.

    Mortified and about to see the lie he’s told everyone about his deceased parents exposed, Todd introduces Dad to fiancée Jamie (Leighton Meester) and her family as his best friend. Improbably, Donny utterly charms the other wedding guests and is soon getting along with everyone except his son, even after people recognize him as the notorious TV personality with an insatiable addiction to cheap beer.

    Donny’s determined to see his son through an increasingly bumpy wedding weekend, however, as Todd is confronted by the hostility of Jamie’s Marine brother Chad (Milo Ventimiglia), a pugnacious priest (James Caan) and a series of mishaps leading up to some serious father-son bonding over Todd’s calamitous bachelor-party night out. Todd’s quandary over forgiving Donny’s past and current transgressions begins to pale in comparison to his mounting marriage woes, leaving the groom with the unenviable choice between a parent he’s tried to avoid and a bride he soon might want to escape.

    This being an Adam Sandler comedy, crude humor predominates at the expense of inherently unique situations or characters, with a by-now familiar strain of sentimentality emerging in later reels. Director Sean Anders and screenwriter David Caspe follow the game plan adequately enough, but the movie is overburdened with incidents that prove only mildly amusing. Anders’ background as an R-rated comedy writer could have served him better with shepherding the disparate cast and animating the pacing, but instead the outcome is a bloated runtime that nearly tips two hours.

    More from THR: Video - "That's My Boy" red-band trailer with Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg hits the web


    In full-on man-child mode, Sandler plays a stereotypical Northeastern white-trash character recognizable from his exaggerated regional accent, nonstop substance abuse, profanity-dominated speech and fixation on sex. It’s nothing new for Sandler, who inhabits Donny’s low-life personality like an alter ego, alternately mugging and emoting with predictable charm.

    Every buddy movie needs a straight man, but Samberg is rather more rigid than the role requires, rarely modulating his performance enough to generate genuine hilarity. Samberg and Sandler’s shared "Saturday Night Live" DNA barely registers, and their interactions lack much of the zaniness of the TV series. Meester remains relegated to a largely functional role that’s essential but hardly inspired. Deft casting that includes supporting actors Tony Orlando as Todd’s slimy boss, Vanilla Ice as Donny’s best bud and a sexy Susan Sarandon in a brief cameo as Donny’s incarcerated teacher helps to enliven the overall mood.

    Serviceable lensing by DP Brandon Trost is marred by some inexpertly executed special effects, but a soundtrack dominated by hairband rockers including Van Halen, Kiss, Foreigner and Def Leppard provides plenty of tuneful distraction throughout.

    "That’s My Boy" delivers the outrageous situations, nonstop raunchiness and juvenile humor that Sandler fans typically seek -- for those who are actually still in the market for this particular brand of comedy.

    Will you go see "That's My Boy"? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • Adam Sandler's 'Jack and Jill' goes downhill at Razzies

    Columbia Pictures

    Jill and Jack (both, Adam Sandler) in "Jack and Jill."

    By Jill Serjeant, Reuters

    LOS ANGELES -- Comic actor Adam Sandler and his movie "Jack and Jill" swept the annual Razzies on Sunday, winning a record-breaking 10 awards for the worst film and performances of 2011.

    The Golden Raspberry Foundation said the cross-dressing comedy, in which Sandler played both the male and female lead parts, was the first film in the 32-year history of the Razzies to sweep all 10 dishonorable categories.

    Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino also was declared a winner in the contest that was created as an antidote to the love-fest that engulfs Hollywood around awards season that ends with the Oscars in late February.

    This year, the awards were handed out on April Fool's Day in a change of tradition that for years saw the Razzies announced on the eve of the Oscars.

    Pacino, who played himself in a cameo appearance in "Jack and Jill", was named worst supporting actor, and he also received a mention in the worst screen couple category along with co-star Katie Holmes.

    Sandler, 45, was voted worst actor and worst actress, and shared the award for worst screen ensemble. "Jack and Jill", which he also helped to write, was voted worst picture, worst re-make, worst director and worst screenplay.


    The winners were determined by some 650 members of the Golden Raspberry Foundation, and more than 35,000 ballots on movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.

    Organizers said the cast of "Jack and Jill" was only just ahead of box-office hit "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" in the voting.

    Did you see "Jack and Jill"? Was it as bad as the Razzies make it out to be? Discuss on Facebook.

  • No, really: 'Candy Land' game to be movie

    Getty Images file

    Adam Sandler will star in "Candy Land."

    By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, NBC News

    OPINION

    Remember when we thought it was weird that they were turning the game "Battleship" into a movie? And that Taylor Lautner was going to play cornsyrup-filled doll "Stretch Armstrong" in a movie? (Lautner has since dropped out but a new studio grabbed on to "Stretch.") And we all made jokes about how we couldn't wait for "Hungry Hungry Hippos" the movie, or how the problem with the "Monopoly" movie was that it would just go on and on and never end?

    Hollywood isn't laughing, folks. They're now making a "Candy Land" movie.

    You remember "Candy Land" the board game. Everyone played it when they were too young to read. Stroll past the Peppermint Forest and the Ice Cream Sea, but don't get stuck in Molasses Swamp on your way to the Candy Castle!

    We all loved it as a game, but really, a movie? Really?

    Deadline.com reports that Adam Sandler will star, and his Happy Madison production company will make the film. The one saving grace: one of the writers is Robert Smigel, the genius behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and the TV Funhouse "SNL" shorts (and much-missed TV series).

    The "Candy Land" movie idea's been tossing around for a while, but Sandler's attachment to the film is new. In 2011, Entertainment Weekly got this super-sweet quote from one of the film's writers: "We envision it as 'Lord of the Rings,' but set in a world of candy." (One candy Ring Pop to rule them all!)

    Don't assume for a minute that it will be as ingenius as the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" skit where Pearl has to play Candy Land with a bunch of bored kids and gets the Bots to make up TV shows to distract them, but if only.

    It doesn't stop there. The Deadline.com article mentions that Hasbro is also working with Sony/Columbia Pictures to turn another board game, "Risk," into a movie.

    They're taking our childhoods and selling them back to us, folks. And we're buying.

    Would you see Adam Sandler in "Candy Land"? And what do you think about the toys-to-films trend? What toy or game is next? Tell us on Facebook.

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  • Don't be a drag, give Spanx for Sandler's cross-dressing

    By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

    You'd think Adam Sandler would know all the ins and outs about dressing up as a woman -- after all, he donned drag for roles like the Gap Girl on "Saturday Night Live" -- but it turns out that for his new film "Jack and Jill," where he plays both male and female twins, he learned about the joys of Spanx.

    "I didn't know about Spanx until this movie," he told TODAY's Ann Curry on Friday morning about wearing the slenderizing undergarments to flatten him out as Jill. "Then a lot of women said, 'Spanx!' Rock and roll. It was fun. I enjoyed being a lady for a bit. No, I didn't enjoy it, I just say I enjoyed it. I didn't like it at all."

    He's fairly harsh on his female aspect, Spanx or no: Sandler said he wondered about one particular scene in the movie that generated such laughs, and realized people were giggling at his "pretty big soccer thighs." Not terribly traditionally feminine, admittedly.

    But dressing up aside, he added that one of the biggest highlights of the movie came when he got to work opposite Al Pacino, who plays himself in the film ... and who romances Jill.

    "We never go too far for many reasons," Sandler said. "He didn't like smelling my cologne."

    And here's a bit of a surprise, unless you're a longtime Pacino fan: According to Sandler, Pacino (who is "one of the funniest guys," he says) started out in the business as a stand-up comedian. "I didn't know that until I started hanging out with the man!"

    "Jack and Jill" opens in theaters today, Nov. 11.

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  • Five great Adam Sandler songs

    New Line Cinema

    Sandler shone in 1998's "The Wedding Singer."

    By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, NBC News

    "Jack and Jill," Adam Sandler's new film in which he plays both a man and his twin sister, is getting ravaged by critics.  "Even by sloppy Sandler movie standards, this one’s a wreck — fart jokes, potty zingers and pit-stain gags," writes Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel. The Hollywood Reporter review calls it "witless and sloppily constructed."

    Yeah. So I won't be seeing that one. But I still think Sandler's a smart, likable and funny comic, in the right sketch or movie. So I'm going to put "Jack and Jill" out of my mind and think of Adam Sandler the singer instead.

    1. "Lunch Lady Land"
    Here's the thing about Sandler's comic songs. They're both hilarious and sweet, and musically well-written. Sandler's song about the day that cafeteria food takes revenge on a hairnetted, mole-bedecked lunch lady (Chris Farley, of course) is just perfect.  And it switches tempos amazingly well, from a rat-a-tat-tat humor piece to an almost sweet ballad, and switches right back. Hoagies and grinders, hoagies and grinders...

     

    2. "The Lonesome Kicker"
    This might be the best sports song ever. In "The Lonesome Kicker," like in Peter, Paul and Mary's "Right Field," Sandler takes up for the most-derided position on a sports team. Even his coach doesn't know who the heck he is: "But I kick that ball, and I pray it goes straight, and if it does, the coach says 'Good job, number 8." And there's an amazing amount of football knowledge crammed in here too. "Another blocked kick! And everybody blames me! But it was the left guard, who didn't pick up his man!" Listen to this just once, and you'll find yourself humming it the next time your favorite team's kicker shanks one. Oh, good job, number 8.
     

    3. "The Hanukkah Song"
    Sandler's "Hanukkah Song," listing famous Jews who celebrate the holiday, is a seasonal classic. "Guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli? Bowser from 'Sha-Na-Na' and Arthur Fonzarelli!" Also, who knew so many words rhymed with "Hanukkah," even "marijuanica"? His "Thanksgiving Song" is also an awesome tune for a holiday that isn't often musically remembered. "A turkey for me, a turkey for you! Let's eat turkey in a big brown shoe!"

     

    4. Anything from "The Wedding Singer"
    It's no news to anyone that I'm a 1980s freak. Sandler's 1998 movie "The Wedding Singer" got the era's details right and managed to weave a touching and funny story about wedding singer Robbie (Sandler) and his love for sweet waitress Julia (Drew Barrymore).  Hey, somebody get some pants on that kid!

    5. "A Song about Elmo" 
    "Sesame Streeters" may not be Sandler's regular audience, but why not? He's just a big kid himself. So his visit to the street's little red monster teaches kids about rhyming with Sandler's own childlike charm. Best line: "At night he takes a bubble bath, just so he won't Smellmo."

    What's Sandler's best song? Tell us in the comments.

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