the buzz log

Three tepid openings made for a five-year box-office low last weekend, but the All-Stars have returned. Will the Coen Brothers set the Buzz Multiplex afire with criminal quirk? Can Tyler Perry bring out the faithful? Or will Meg Ryan and her all-female posse show that 2008 is truly the year of the woman... at least on the big screen?

1. "The Women" (PG-13). Nearly 70 years separates the original 1939 vehicle and this remake, yet an all-female cast still seems bold in 21st-century Hollywood. While the comedy doesn't pull in superhero numbers, it is among the top 5,000 searches this week buoyed by a 82% female majority. Lead Meg Ryan reprises the Norma Shearer role as a happily married, successful woman ... until she finds out her husband may have a distraction in the form of Eva Mendes (taking the role played by, oh yes, Joan Crawford). Mendes has more than her fair share of Web interest, but Ryan as well as Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Debra Messing, Candice Bergen, and Cloris Leachman are getting a nice online embrace, as well.

2. "Burn After Reading" (R). Brad Pitt's joy in doing a Coen Brothers project dampened a bit after finding his tailored character was an idjit, but a CB movie is still a CB movie. "Burn," with only slightly fewer searches than "The Women," actually has wider geographic appeal. The comedy pairs Pitt with "Fargo" favorite Frances McDormand as dumb-jock fitness trainers blackmailing former CIA analyst John Malkovich. George Clooney pulls in some Search love as a philanderer noodling with Tilda Swinton as the analyst's wife. This is the kind of film that people actually seek out reviews for, and so far the New York Observer critic (admittedly only favoring two CB movies) calls it "willfully awful," whereas Rolling Stone calls the post-"No Country" release as "wildly funny, but just as wildly uneven." NYT identifies the problem as a heartlessly comic landscape, in which Pitt proves one of the "saving graces."

3. "Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys" (PG-13). Another auteur project, the melodrama with the horror-film title looks at the respective families of best pals, played by Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard. The buzz, though, circulates around Sanaa Lathan, with Cole Hauser providing the male eye candy. "Family" may be the first Perry effort to feature a white lead, but the real story—as TimeOut New York reveals—is his continued emphasis on strong women. The strategy works, as Web interest breaks down along the same gender lines as "The Women."

Others sought out on the Buzz Marquee... "Righteous Kill" (R) generates Search sparks with nuclear powerhouses Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, but bad reviews could do them in, even with 50 Cent in the mix... The coming-of-age tale of an Arab-American teen has launched search buzz up 665% Limited release for "Towelhead" ... Sundance prize-winner documentary "Flow" takes its investigation about the nation's water supplies only to New York and Los Angeles this week, but its buzz is strong.

Filed under: Movies, Women, Brad Pitt, Tyler Perry

With last week's releases still whipping up a Web storm, the weekend premieres look like a weak front that's just passing through. Interest is spiking for limited release "I.O.U.S.A." (+629%), called the "Inconvenient Truth" of economics, and beyond-irreverent comedy "Hamlet 2" (+47%). Meanwhile, the success of "The Longshots" rests entirely on Ice Cube's draw. Below are the three most popular premieres in the Buzz Multiplex this week.

1. "The House Bunny" (PG-13). MTV critic Kurt Loder sums the premise of an exiled Playboy bunny acting as a sorority housemom as "unabashedly formulaic." Still, star Anna Faris has the lightweight comedy hopping among the top 3,000 terms. Other buzzy co-stars include Idoler Katharine McPhee, Emma Stone, Rumer Willis, Kat Dennings, and Colin Hanks (yes, the son of). By the way, check out Daily News' profile on "scene stealer" Faris that includes a Bunny etiquette note: Never touch the tail.

2. " Death Race" (R). The backseat driver movie of the week pulls in 70% male interest, but what does it mean when an update of Roger Corman's "Death Race 2000" (+230%) is beaten by a bunny? Portfolio reports a lot rides on its success, but the critics aren't enthralled despite the talented cast of Jason Statham ("The Bank Job"), Joan Allen ("The Contender"), and Ian McShane ("Deadwood"). Then again, the title sets all expectations.

3. "The Rocker" (PG-13). Oh snap. The Rainn Wilson vehicle isn't just being called an off-key "School of Rock" rip-off, but New York Magazine has now declared a curse upon "The Office" cast members who venture to the big screen. (And why should "Saturday Night Live" alum suffer alone?) The movie also stars Christina Applegate, who has received enormous Web sympathy for her recent announcement of breast cancer.

Filed under: Movies, Autos, Women, The Office