Weekly Trailer Round-Up
22 Jun 2011 1 Comment
in 2011, Weekly Trailer Round-up Tags: 2011, A Dangerous Method, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, blog, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, Dolphin Tale, Etc., Film Trailers, Flypaper, Griff the Invisible, Love, Movie Trailers, Puss in Boots, The Last Circus, The Muppets, Trailers, Weekly Trailer Round-up
The Last Circus – B: Magnet has really become a wonderful outlet for foreign films in the action/thriller/horror genre to get US distribution. While international genre films are more likely to get distribution here than most other kinds of international fare, I’ll take any distribution I can get, and Magnet does a nice job of picking up films for their label. The Last Circus looks particularly extreme and specially crafted in tone and pushing limits. This is one I will keep an eye out for.
Dolphin Tale – C: The second this trailer starts, you begin waiting for the ‘based on a true story’ visual, and sure enough it comes up. I certainly have nothing against a family-friendly narrative about dolphins; I just don’t really care to see it.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked – D: Again; what could I do with this one? I am so unbelievably sick of this trend where CGI animals do an empty and lazy parody of a song or famous film scene. It’s happening everywhere I turn (or at least it seems so) and I was done with it before it started.
Griff the Invisible – B-: At once too light and then too melodramatic and then too I don’t know what, Griff the Invisible is another take on ‘superhero realism’, this time in the guise of a romantic dramedy. The only thing that made me really want to see this is Ryan Kwanten, who looks absolutely wonderful in this, fitting so nicely into the idealistic character.
The Muppets – B+: My love for the Muppets makes this one of my most anticipated of late 2011 (although at this point, a hell of a lot of films are falling into this category). I am a little worried about the amount of screen-time Segel has but I really like him a lot and I understand that this is his project. Right now it feels like we are getting footage from two different films. I hope it all fits together nicely and according to this trailer, so far so good.
Flypaper – B-: I am rooting for Flypaper; I really am. It looks like it could go either way. Mainly though, I hope the film is better than the trailer looks, because there is a lot of potentially fun wackiness afoot.
Puss In Boots – B-: This does not look half bad. It looks far more appealing than the last two Shrek films, and utilizes arguably the richest of the franchise’s characters. There are a few cute moments and excluding the character name of Kitty Softpaws, there is nothing outwardly awful here.
Love, Etc – C+: Love, Etc. is a documentary that, judging by the trailer, looks way too scattered, slight and polished to resonate in any way shape or form. I’m sure it will be touching and uplifting, but also irrelevant and processed.
A Dangerous Method – A-: My utmost trust in Cronenberg has me clawing at the walls for this film. And now we finally have a trailer. It looks like its trying a bit too hard to package itself as a melodramatic love triangle. Cronenberg always has something more interesting up his sleeve, even when he’s not the writer (he hasn’t been since eXistenZ). Between the subject matter, the kinky light bondage, the cast, the director and the time period…nothing can derail my interest in this one. I’ve seen most of Cronenberg’s work and (favorites being The Fly, Dead Ringers, Videodrome and A History of Violence) I hope to see the few I am missing before this gets released, which will hopefully be in 2011. And yet, I am quite possibly even more excited about Cosmopolis.
Weekly Trailer Round-Up
15 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in 2011, Weekly Trailer Round-up Tags: 2011, blog, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, Dark Tide, Errol Morris, Film Trailers, Lucky, Movie Trailers, Pariah, Sundance 2011, Tabloid, The Guard, Trailer, Weekly Trailer Round-up
Pariah – A-: I have been wanting to see this since it played at Sundance. It looks like a rather simple trajectory, but one that matters and told with a desperate forcefulness. Adepero Odeye looks superb in the lead role.
Tabloid – A: The new Errol Morris doc, so, clearly a must-see. Every single aspect of this trailer is right up my alley. Focusing on an eccentric personality? Check. Focusing on media coverage? Check. Darkly comedic tone? Check. My most anticipated doc right now along with Beats, Rhymes and Life and Senna.
The Guard – C+: One the one hand, Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle look like a an inspired comedic duo. On the other hand, the dialogue was the same joke over and over. Seriously; is that what the entire film will be like? I am not sold on the weak humor.
Lucky – B-: The trailer feels very rushed. Functions as a trailer working with the timeframe of a teaser. But I would definitely see this.
Dark Tide – C-: I am not sure this is the type of film Halle Berry should be making if she wants to get her career to the place it was several years ago. Tonally, this just does not work. It’s not scattered, but it is too paint-by-numbers. “From the director of Blue Crush and Into the Blue” does not exactly reel me in, although it does tell me this man likes the ocean a hell of a lot.
Weekly Trailer Round-Up
07 Jun 2011 1 Comment
in 2011, Weekly Trailer Round-up Tags: A Love Affair of Sorts, Adaptations, Beats Rhymes and Life: the Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, Book to Film Adaptations, Breaking Dawn - Part 1, Breaking Dawn - Part 1 trailer, Bride Flight, Crime After Crime, Documentaries, Film Adaptations, Film Trailers, Jig, Movie Trailers, Sarah's Key, The Names of Love, The Vow, Trailer Reviews
Crime After Crime – B+: This documentary has all the makings for an underdog tale. I’d be surprised if her story were not turned into a ‘based on a true story’ narrative at some point, not only because Debbie is fighting forces bigger than herself, but the people defending her are amateurs who are trying their damnedest. Debbie Peagler is just one in countless examples of injustice within the system. Hopefully this documentary will remind people that nothing is black and white. Also, my grad program allows me to always be keeping in mind how important archival research is with fact-based filmmaking, and it adds a new contextual layer to documentaries for me.
A Love Affair of Sorts – F: I really am doling out the F’s lately. I am all for dirt-cheap filmmaking, but this looks like nothing more than a self-serious gimmick laced with hackneyed overtones about communication and technology. The trailer alone was painful to get through.
Jig – B: Jig reminds me of what I wish competitive reality TV actually was. I am truly fascinated by people whose dedication to a hobby takes over their lives. That ambition on people, in this case mainly adolescents, is always going to be of interest to me. Maybe it is why I love Project Runway so much. Take away the drama and the nonsense that is Klum, and you have people who have literally dedicated their lives to fashion; it is everything to them and they are damn talented at their craft. Getting back to the film at hand, I will always be interested in documentaries like Jig.
The Names of Love – C+: I’m a real curmudgeon when it comes to modern romantic comedy. For the most part, I have very little tolerance for it. This does not look bad, but by the time the trailer ended, there was no drive for me to find out more about the couple’s liberal/conservative dynamic. This seems like something that would have been more interesting to make several decades ago but feels very outdated now.
Beats, Rhymes & Life: the Travels of a Tribe Called Quest – A-: Quite honestly, no matter how good or bad this trailer was, it was never going to get anything less than an A-. This is essentially my most anticipated summer doc. ATCQ are one of my favorite bands, seminal artists in East Coast hip-hop, Michael Rapaport’s film giving us an inside look at the relationship between Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed has me giddy. Rapaport’s passion for this band represents all of us who love their music, and it is infectiously palpable.
The Vow – C: To be fair, this probably is not going to be terrible for the type of tearjerker romance it is. These kinds of films rarely appeal to me. The trailer knows its demographic, made clear by the way it has The Notebook‘s Rachel McAdams and Dear John‘s Channing Tatum. It is just so very odd that 2012 trailers have already started.
Sarah’s Key – B-: Ahh yes, another World War II based mystery. We clearly need another of those. To be fair, I have been meaning to read this hugely popular book for a while, so I am more than a hypocrite here. Still, the film looks a bit lackluster, unable to stand out from the pack.
Bride Flight – D+: This has got to be one of the worst film titles/trailers for a film that for all intents and purposes might be quite good, but it is impossible to tell from this shoddily put-together trailer. This is so scattered and so steeped in melodrama and broadly epic text that it is hard to take seriously, despite liking the general idea of it.
Breaking Dawn – Part 1 – C-: It is not entirely fair to grade these trailers; I have no investment in the franchise whatsoever. I am mainly interested on how the justifiably controversial sex scene contained in the books (only controversial based on the demographic) is going to be executed (we can see from the trailer it will be a scene). Otherwise, my only passing thought is a complaint; the wedding invitation structure was really corny, like snippets of soap-opera acting or something; just awkward. Oh no; Jacob is not happy about the invitation because he throws in into the mud! Billy Burke looks concerned! Nina from 24 gives a satisfied smirk! Very in-your-face and to-the-point reactions that are not effective.
Finally, I will not review the second Fright Night trailer because it is so similar to the first but let it be known: THANK YOU for actually taking a good 15 seconds to showcase David Tennant’s significant role in the film. I want to see it slightly more now.
Weekly Trailer Round-Up
31 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in 2011, Weekly Trailer Round-up Tags: 2011 Trailers, 50/50, Alexander Payne, David Fincher, Documentary, Don't be Afraid of the Dark, Douglas McGrath, Film Trailers, George Miller, Guillermo del Toro, Happy Feet Two, I Don't Know How She Does It, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Ea, John Carpenter, John Carpenter's The Ward, Jonathan Levine, Larysa Kondracki, Marshall Curry, Movie Trailers, Raja Gosnell, Robert Rodriguez, Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Smurfs 3D, The Whistleblower, Trailers, Troy Nixey
The Descendants – B+: It is really gratifying to have a new Alexander Payne film coming out this year. There is nothing really revelatory about the trailer, but this still manages to look wonderful headed by reliably subdued work by George Clooney.
50/50- B+: 50/50 looks like a solid balance of comedy and drama, headed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is so adept at both. He and Rogen look like they will have great chemistry.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark – C+: Guillermo del Toro’s involvement has me interested, but my reaction to this was the same as my reaction to the teaser; indifference. It does not look necessarily bad, but nothing about it stands out. The little CGI seen looks somewhat poor.
The Whistleblower – B-: My hope is that this film does not fit quite as succinctly into the political thriller mode as the trailer makes it look. Anything that brings attention to this issue, even if through a conventional thriller (to call human trafficking a ‘problem’ is the biggest understatement you’ll ever see on this blog), is a good thing. However, from a cinematic perspective, this looks a bit too cliched to be anything outstanding. Hopefully, it can prove me wrong.
The Smurfs 3D- F: This is the first F I have given since writing these short trailer sound-ups. I say this with all seriousness: I would watch Zookeeper over this any day of the week. This looks like bottom-of-the-barrel filmmaking, if we can even call it that. On The AV Club’s Directors You Didn’t Know You Hated installment of Inventory, they cite director Raja Gosnell. Along with the upcoming Smurfs, he is also responsible for directing Big Momma’s House, Scooby-Doo and its sequel and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. The comedy here looks about as lazy as it gets. Children clearly deserve better than this. After seeing this, I will bet that the most average of children’s films will seem like a breath of fresh air. Neil Patrick Harris looks particularly annoying. Hank Azaria as Gargamel looks appropriate cartoonish, and thus, moronic. The Smurfs themselves do not blend in at all, and they seem more annoying than anything else here. The amount of times “Smurf” is injected into their vocabulary is grating. Just because they make a joke about it, does not mean you will not have to listen to their repetitive ‘Smurf’ lingo. And as if you need another reason to not see The Smurfs, Katy Perry is voicing Smurfette. Oh. My. Smurf.
I Don’t Know How She Does It-D-: Again, I say this with all seriousness; I would rather watch Zookeeper. I get that this is going to appeal to busybody women who want to feel appreciated for all the running around they do. Nothing wrong with that. Having Sarah Jessica Parker doing Sex and the City narration complete with breaking the fourth wall does not help. It really looks like she will just be her zany self, running around for about ninety minutes. Why would I want to watch this?
Happy Feet Two 3D – F: Oh boy. The second F of this week. For the third time; I would rather see Zookeeper. Poor poor “Mama Said Knock You Out”. You have been unfairly destroyed in less than a minute. I am not sure I have seen a worse teaser than this. Ever. I have never seen Happy Feet. I never care to see Happy Feet. The teaser is loud, crowded, nonsensical, obnoxious, a little bit creepy and completely bewildering.
John Carpenter’s The Ward – C+: This, like so many horror trailers, looks completely forgettable but totally watchable.
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front – B+: This is one of my most anticipated docs of the year. This looks like it will have an excellent insight into eco-terrorism, balanced with a humanistic approach that offers no easy answers. That makes me more excited about it, docs that are too broad can become easily problematic. That it is called “A Story” as opposed to “The Story” makes me hopeful that this will live up to my expectations.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – A+: This is, for my money, the best trailer of the year so far. I really enjoy this book (much less crazy about the final two installments). The Swedish film left me largely unimpressed, but Noomi Rapace’s spectacular performance alone had me against a US interpretation. By the time Rooney Mara was cast as opposed to a big name, and David Fincher on board as director, my opinion had completely turned around on this project. My initial worry that the film would tone down the more brutal and disturbing aspects of the film look to be untrue by the feel of this teaser. Can I just say how happy I am that Fincher is getting back to the kind of material he is most comfortable with? My adoration with The Social Network aside (as well as my very conflicted feelings towards Curious Case of Benjamin Button), this pessimistic world of violence and grime is where he is at home. By the looks of it, he has wasted no time with this teaser, showing us that he is coming back with a bang. His visual motifs look right at home in Stieg Larsson’s world. The Trent Reznor/Karen O “Immigrant Song” cover is just as sick and fierce as one would hope. The tagline rules. Craig and Mara look perfect from the little we can see of them. And Entertainment Weekly’s observation that the teaser lines up chronologically with the story looks to be pretty much correct from what I can tell. This is going to be far from an easy watch, but if Fincher’s vision holds up, it’ll be more than worth it.
Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World – D: The one thing I like about this trailer is that kids this young are never really given key roles in children’s action adventure films of this scale. They are almost always several years older. So in a way, I think it’s nice that kids this young can be front and center instead of the protagonists’ being 12 and up. That being said, this looks like it should be straight-to-DVD fodder. I am still trying to figure out why there was a Spy Kids 2. Oh yeah; money. This looks awful.
Weekly Trailer Round-Up
25 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in 2011, Weekly Trailer Round-up Tags: 2011, 2011 trailer reviews, A Little Help, blog, blog review, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, Conan O'Brien Can't Stop, Film Trailers, Movie Trailers, Salvation Boulevard, Take Shelter, The Muppets, The Perfect Age of Rock 'N' Roll, Trailer Reviews, Trailers, Weekly Trailer Round-up
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop – B: My boyfriend got to see this at IFFBoston, while I had to miss it due to class. Both of us attended O’Brien’s tour, making this of particular interest. The film looks like a satisfying combination of entertainment and insight.
A Little Help – D: This is the kind of domestic indie drama I cannot abide by. Nothing here feels genuine and it comes complete with ‘indie’ dramedy font. Fischer will lose her husband, struggle to find her own way and mark out a relationship with her son. There will be plenty of ups and downs and the film will end on a moment of hope. There you go. Film seen.
Take Shelter – A: Recently screened at Cannes, this is one of my most anticipated films of the year. Inner psychological torment mixed with eerie atmosphere and bigger-scale visuals looks to be a winning mix. Shannon’s predicament seems similar to his in Bug, a film I love, making this an even more exciting release.
The Muppets – B+: A really clever trailer which shows, in its short footage of the Muppets, that the humor will stay very much inline with the type of meta-jokes they were known for. I am so nervous and excited for this one; the Muppets mean a lot to me. They have been so misused in recent years by Disney. Jason Segel seems to appreciate what they once were, so I have hope. Also, it is hard to imagine this not working in a theater.
Salvation Boulevard – C-: This trailer it waaaaay too scattered to feel coherent. It may be going for a zany, wacky satirical vibe, but this too muddled for any of that to really come through.
The Perfect Age of Rock ‘N’ Roll – C: There is something so purposefully dour about this; it so badly wants us to care. I am not sure I do. Everyone involved is clearly trying, but it I did not finish the trailer feeling like I needed to spend two hours with this story.
Weekly Trailer Round-Up
18 May 2011 1 Comment
in 2011, Weekly Trailer Round-up Tags: 2011, 2011 Trailers, blog, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, Colin Farrell, Craig Gillespie, Film Trailers, Fright Night remake, Horrible Bossess, Movie Trailers, Steven Spielberg, Straw Dogs remake, The Adventures of Tintin, Trailers, Weekly Trailer Round-up, Zookeeper
This was definitely a light and disappointing week in trailers.
Horrible Bosses – C+: This looks pretty inane, but the main reason for my willingness to eventually sit through it is the presence of both Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell, who look like they are having fun. There are certainly hints of black comedy here, but in plot, not tone, where it counts. Hopefully it goes further down that road than I expect it to.
Fright Night – C: May I ask how the hell this trailer manages to last two and a half minutes and only feature one blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of David Tennant, who is playing the Roddy McDowall character in this remake? This looks like it has very little of the humor of the original (which I am not much of a fan of in the first place). It also looks like it might be hard to buy Farrell in this role. There are a few reasons I am holding onto indifferent hope here. One is that Marti Noxon is credited for the screenplay. The other is that Craig Gillespie is directing. Lastly, this is a pretty solid cast. We’ll just have to see.
Straw Dogs – C-: Honestly, if this grade reflected my thoughts on the existence of this remake, it would be an F-. Yes, an F-. This C- should serve as evidence that this trailer was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It looks like they are falling back on the original more than I expected, which is better than them taking the name and telling a story that vaguely resembles Peckinpah’s original. To put it plainly though; this. film. should. not. have. been. touched. But it’s happening, whether we like it or not. The casting of the leads is dull as fuck. Alexander Skarsgaard’s presence is always a good thing. I don’t really have much to say. I was expecting disaster; the result is something that has the potential to be passable, but no matter what the level of work, its very existence makes it involuntarily dreadful.
Zookeeper – D- : Hmm. It is hard to know what to say about Zookeeper. This kind of film was not made for me, and I am sure many who see it will enjoy themselves. Trying to bank on the success of Night at the Museum and Kevin James’ previous vehicle Paul Blart: Mall Cop, this will probably make a considerable amount of money. Rosario Dawson. Rosario, Rosario, Rosario. Sigh. The Talking Heads usage just made me a little sad. Although, since I cannot recall “Wild Wild Life” being used in other trailers, it was a welcome change to the endless list of played-out songs that can commonly be found here. There is one thing I will say for this film. Casting Nick Nolte as a talking gorilla is GENIUS. Hence the D- instead of an F.
The Adventures of Tintin – B-: I am very excited for The Adventures of Tintin, more for the screenwriters involved than for Spielberg. This was an underwhelming teaser, that did not entice me to want to see more, the way teasers are supposed to. It is just sort of there. Nothing great, nothing bad. Hopefully the trailer will entice more from me than unwanted indifference.
