PopSugar UK

Friends With Benefits vs. No Strings Attached: How to Tell Them Apart

POPSUGAR Entertainment — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 20:15:23 BST

Back in January, Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman starred in No Strings Attached as two friends who decide to sleep together without the messy involvement of a relationship. If the trailers for Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis's Friends With Benefits is giving you major movie déjà vu, we're here to help. The titles and premises are already confusing, so I'm going to try to clear it up for you by making distinctions between the two films before Friends With Benefits hits theaters on July 22.

Ashton Kutcher Talks On Screen Nudity, Realism and the MPAA's Rating System For No Strings Attached

Beth Squires — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:41:17 GMT

While Ashton Kutcher was in the UK a fortnight ago to promote No Strings Attached, he sat down with director Ivan Reitman to answer some questions and I was there. Yesterday I shared what he had to say about his costar Natalie Portman and romance in a digital age, and here he talks about his nude scenes and the 'R' rating that it received for its US release:

On his pre-nude scene workout regime: AK: “I actually stopped working out for this movie. I had that conversation with Ivan before it started. This guy’s a production assistant and aspiring writer - I know a lot of these guys and none of them are particularly fit. And I just felt like he’s in a very enviable position, as the fantasy of most guys would dictate so I thought making sure that this character was real, was really important. So Ivan and I had this discussion… I said “I think I’m going to let myself go a little for it” but apparently I didn’t let myself go enough, because that’s all that anyone wants to talk about."
On the ‘R’ rating being the price paid for the movie's realism: IR: “Yeah, unfortunately, it’s mostly for language that we got the ‘R’ rating, and for sexual situations and the explicitness of the ideas. It’s just the way the MPAA, the rating board in America, is set up. In Australia and Europe the rating has been lower. I think they’re much more concerned about sexual conversation than they are blood letting and I think it’s a weird anomaly…." AK: (interjecting) “If you want to make an honest movie in the States it will be rated ‘R’.”
On the close ups of Ashton's bum in the film: AK: “That’s a big ass…” IR: “He likes to be naked.” AK: [shrugs] “I like having it out… We all come into the world this way, there’s very little we can do about it, you are who you are. Doing the scenes, it doesn’t matter, it’s infinitely awkward, you have 40 strangers standing around… I think it’s less awkward for guys than girls because the crew tends to be slightly more masculine, and, you know, mine doesn’t look that different from yours. Whenever I’m doing scenes like that, whether it’s a sexual scene or one that involves nudity, I actually get out of myself by trying to make sure that the other person’s okay, and when you’re caring about someone else you really stop worrying about yourself and that’s kinda my mental cycle that I put myself through. Then I apologise a lot.”

No Strings Attached is out in UK cinemas today!

Ashton Kutcher Talks Relationship Advice, Romance, and Love in a Digital Age For No Strings Attached

Beth Squires — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:49:47 GMT

Ashton Kutcher was in the UK a couple of weeks ago promoting his new movie No Strings Attached, which is released here tomorrow. I attended a press conference where Ashton and director Ivan Reitman talked engagingly about filming the romantic comedy. The actor also spilled about pressing pause on his love of technology for romance, and how he created chemistry with his leading lady Natalie Portman. Here's what he said:

On his relationships when he was a teenager: “I was a fumbler -I didn’t really have a girlfriend girlfriend until I was a senior in high school so, I really didn’t… I was kinda nervous about the whole thing. I didn’t manage very well.”
On what relationship advice he'd give other people: “I’m just trying to make mine work. I think that great relationships are great partnerships and those come in all kinds of shapes sizes, forms, ages, and whatever it is. And the only tip I have for anyone in a relationship or partnership is work on it when it’s good. It’s very easy to try to take that break when things are going good but that’s the time that you have to keep working on it, because you keep it good.”
On romance: “Romance is personal. The carrots [my character gives Natalie's] in this film are in place of flowers because she didn’t want them, so it meant something to her. Romance is just that, it’s usually not some grand gesture, it’s usually something that’s very very simple but very very personal. Romance is an island right next to care, and when you care about someone and you know them and you can feel them, then you know just what’s right. And generally it’s something that would be very unimpressive to a room full of strangers.”

To read Ashton's thoughts on working with Natalie Portman and his comments on how social media affects romance in the 21st Century, just

On how he and Natalie Portman created chemistry: “It’s easier when you like the person, and she’s very likeable. I don’t know if it’s something you can plan, or it’s something you can manufacture, I generally find that you can have good chemistry with someone that you can argue well with and I think [smiles]. . . Natalie and I both really appreciate being right. But I think she could have good chemistry with this cup if she wanted to, she’s probably one of the best actresses of my generation, I believe she is. It is a plus as an actor, because you know that everything you get across from you is going to be real and honest and reactive and beautiful. At the same time, when the light shines in a dark room all the dust shows… and so it was a challenge for me, absolutely, to be as honest as she is in every scene.”
On how social networking affect romance: “I think there’s a couple of elements to it - I think it’s accelerating relationships, but it’s also making them very disposable. The notion that you can just “unfriend” someone with the push of a button is kind of frightening. And therefore I think people are having less of an investment in relationships. Now it can be one date and you go on Facebook and you know who all their friends are, you know who all your friends are in common, you know who their family is, what they do for a living, what they ate yesterday, and what they did for Christmas. All that information makes us feel very familiar with people that we may not know at all, so relationships are coming together faster and they’re breaking apart faster. At the same time I think that creates great opportunities for romance - because I think a handwritten letter probably means more today than it’s meant in quite some time. I’m very tech forward, I believe in it, however I also think that pushing the pause button is not a bad thing, and really connecting with people one to one is important.”

Stay tuned for more from Ashton at the No Strings Attached press conference in part two, tomorrow!

Flashback: Mad Men's January Jones and Her '90s Love Ashton Kutcher

POPSUGAR Celebrity — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 10:30:00 GMT

January Jones is back on the big screen soon with her thriller Unknown, which Buzz thinks is an entertaining ride. The Mad Men actress turned out on the black carpet earlier this week for the LA premiere with costars Diane Kruger and Liam Neeson, but around 10 years ago she had another buddy to keep her company at movie events. She and Ashton Kutcher were an item for some time, though January might not look back on their bond with fondness. Let's take a walk down memory lane, from before Ashton was Mr. Moore and January was Betty Draper - click through to see their '90s romance!

Ashton Kutcher Attends London Interviews and Signs Autographs For No Strings Attached

Beth Squires — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:08:50 GMT

Ashton Kutcher has been in London over the past couple of days promoting his movie No Strings Attached, in which he stars opposite Natalie Portman. In France it has the simpler, but more amusing, title of Sex Friends, and before he arrived on our shores he was publicising it there accompanied by his wife Demi Moore. I attended a press conference with Ashton and director Ivan Reitman yesterday, where Ashton looked gorgeous in his grey jacket - stay tuned to PopSugarUK before the release date of Feb. 25 to find out what he had to say!

Ashton Kutcher Promotes Sex Friends in City of Love

Elle Taylor — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:16:35 GMT

Ashton Kutcher posed in front of the poster for Sex Friends, the French title for No Strings Attached, at a photocall in Paris today. The actor arrived in France with Demi Moore yesterday and will take his movie around Europe. He's attending a press conference in London tomorrow, where the winner of our competition will get to meet him, and we'll also be there to bring you all the news.

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore Stay Attached as They Land in Europe

Elle Taylor — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 11:41:33 GMT

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher arrived in Paris yesterday. The couple enjoyed a shirtless and bikini holiday in Brazil before heading to Dallas for the Super Bowl fun. Ashton celebrated his 33rd birthday on Monday and we took a look back at fun pictures of his time in the public eye. They're now in Europe as Ashton makes the promo rounds for No Strings Attached. Lucky PopSugar Community member Dianna1985 won our competition to meet Ashton tomorrow, and we'll be bringing you all the news from his stay in London, so stay tuned!

Last Call For Entries! Win a Chance to Meet Ashton Kutcher By Testing Your Trivia!

POPSUGAR Celebrity UK — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:00:00 GMT

We're giving away the chance to meet Ashton Kutcher before the release of his new movie, No Strings Attached. Ashton stars alongside Natalie Portman in the comedy which asks if two friends can have fun without love getting in the way. One lucky winner and a friend will win an exclusive screening of the movie and lunch in London, followed by a meet and greet with Ashton Kutcher at the Dorchester Hotel on Feb. 10! We're looking for one of Ashton's biggest fans, so prove you're it by taking our trivia quiz. If you're not already a PopSugar member, register now, for free. You must be logged in for your entry to count. It doesn't matter how you score, so hurry up and test your knowledge. The sweepstakes ends Feb. 7 at 23:45 GMT. Think you know Ashton? Show us what you've got! No Strings Attached opens in cinemas nationwide on Feb. 25. Today's your last chance to enter, so get playing!

Prize draw open to UK residents aged 18 years old and over only. The winner must be able to travel to London on Thursday 10 February 2011. No travel or accommodation is included. Upon notification on the morning of Feb. 8, the winner must respond with contact details by 12 midday GMT. © 2011 DW STUDIOS, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved.

Take the Quiz

Happy 33rd Birthday, Ashton Kutcher!

Elle Taylor — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:26:43 GMT

Ashton Kutcher turns 33 today, and we're celebrating by taking a look back at his professional and personal life in pictures. We're also offering you the chance to meet the man himself this Thursday in London: enter now! Click through to see Ashton with his costars, friends, and family over the years.

Will You See or Skip These February Movies?

POPSUGAR Celebrity UK — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:30:00 GMT

This month sees a fab range of films coming to UK cinemas. From award season favourites to thrillers, dramas, comedies, and animated movies, click through to see what's heading to a big screen near you. Let me know if you'll see or skip each one!