- Must Watch: Destructive Trailer for Roland Emmerich's 2012 (169 Comments)
- First Grueling Trailer for The Twilight Saga: New Moon (150 Comments)
- Does This Final New G.I. Joe Trailer Convince You to See It? (109 Comments)
- Profile on Marvel Studios with Big Updates from Kevin Feige (80 Comments)
- Must Watch: First Trailer for Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island (79 Comments)
- Visual Effects Supervisor Charles Gibson Directing The Goblin (Jun 21, 2009)
- Sony Dumps Steven Soderbergh's Moneyball Movie Last Minute! (Jun 21, 2009)
- Producer Joe Gatta Updates Rodriguez' Red Sonja Movie (Jun 20, 2009)
- Latest Updates from David S. Goyer on The Invisible Man (Jun 19, 2009)
- Sly Stallone's The Expendables Could End Up Being PG-13? (Jun 19, 2009)
| Inglourious Basterds | 8.5/10 |
| Star Trek | 9/10 |
| Monsters vs Aliens | 5/10 |
| Sin Nombre | 8.5/10 |
| Duplicity | 7.5/10 |
Interview: The Hurt Locker's Mark Boal and Kathryn Bigelow
Hidden amongst the big blockbusters this summer are a few indie gems. One of them is The Hurt Locker, a fantastic look at the life of bomb techs in Iraq. Don't worry, this isn't another "Iraq war movie" with a political message, it's a great action movie that just happens to be set in Iraq. It's directed by Kathryn Bigelow, of Point Break and K-19: The Widowmaker previously, and is written by Mark Boal, a journalist who took his own experiences in Iraq and wrote them into the script. A month ago I talked with both Kathryn and Mark and it was one of the most fascinating and revealing interviews I've done. Read on!
Badass First Trailer for the Pang Brothers' Storm Warriors
After the dismal debut of Bangkok Dangerous, the Pang Brothers have returned to China for their next film - The Storm Warriors. This is latest their exploration into martial arts - not that they haven't already featured martial arts in their films, but this is a period epic. For those who have forgotten who the Pang Brothers are, they're a directing team out of Hong Kong who brought us the original The Eye in 2002, The Messengers in 2007, a remake of their own film Bangkok Dangerous in 2008, and a handful of other Chinese features. And if you're hesitant about watching this trailer, don't be, it kicks some serious ass.
Woody Allen's Whatever Works Was Originally Written in the 70's!
At least two of my friends are big fans of Woody Allen (you know who you are) and anytime a new movie comes out, I always call them to hear their thoughts. Hitting theaters soon is Allen's latest, Whatever Works, starring "Curb Your Enthusiasm's" Larry David. And if there are fans out there who have been waiting for Allen to get back to his roots, then we've got good news. "Whatever Works is a screenplay that dates so far back it was originally written for Zero Mostel, who died the year Annie Hall came out (1977). Allen updated it very slightly, but make no mistake: This movie is literally vintage Woody Allen."
Weinstein Company Accused of Padding The Road Trailer?
Fans of Cormac McCarthy's novel are getting a bit riled up over the recent trailer for The Road. John Hillcoat's adaptation has been in development for a while. It was shot in early 2008, but The Weinstein Company delayed the release until this year because they wanted to promote The Reader instead. The full trailer finally hit a few weeks ago to a primarily positive response, give or take a few who were upset that it's not presented in the same way as the book. However, an interesting article has popped up on ScreenRant recently alleging that The Weinstein Company added footage to sell the trailer to mainstream audiences.
Terrible Promo Trailer for Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant
You don't have a lucky crack pipe? An early promo trailer has been "leaked" online (via Collider) for Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, the Werner Herzog remake of Abel Ferrara's 1992 cult classic Bad Lieutenant. It stars Nic Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes and, worst of all, Xzibit. I'm not sure if Herzog has just lost his mind or what, because this looks awful. Sure, I understand that Cage's character is supposed to be losing his mind, but still, it looks terrible. I think I would've preferred a Ghost Rider 2 with Cage and Mendes instead of this. Some of you will love it, of course, but I just really can't appreciate any of it.
indieWIRE's Best of Cannes Winners and RT's Top 10 Films
As part of my wrap-up on the Cannes Film Festival, I wanted to feature two great articles found around the web today. The first is indieWIRE's Best of Cannes, a list of the best films, best actors, best directors, and worst films from this year, as ranked by critics and bloggers. A group of sixteen people (including me) were polled by indieWIRE and they've comprised the three films in each category with the most votes. The big winner is Un Prophete, which is still my favorite film of the fest. Additionally, Rotten Tomatoes has a great feature looking at the 10 Must-See Movies coming out of the fest. Both lists have some great picks.
Must Watch: First Incredible Trailer for Sci-Fi Mr. Nobody
Nothing is real, everything is possible. The first trailer for Belgian filmmaker Jaco van Dormael's Mr. Nobody, a sci-fi drama starring Jared Leto, has debuted via Quiet Earth. We featured the film in our look at the 2009's sci-fi movies, but this looks much more incredible than I thought it would. It looks a bit like if The Curious Case of Benjamin Button were a sci-fi flick, and the "old age" make-up looks as good as anything Fincher could pull off (although that's hard to tell right now). But we'll certainly be keeping a very close eye on this, as it looks like it has the potential to be one of the best films of the year, sci-fi or otherwise.
Must Watch: First Trailer for Star Wars Geek Drama '77'
I'm not sure why everyone is so fascinated with making movies about Star Wars recently, but I don't mind, I'll see every last one, I'm a big Star Wars geek. I've actually heard of the movie 77 before, back when it was previously known as 5-25-77 - which, for those who don't know, is the exact day that A New Hope first came out. Unlike the movie Fanboys, this is more of a coming-of-age drama than a road trip comedy. There's also a lot of great movie references, as the story is about a wannabe filmmaker whose life changes the moment he sees Star Wars. Every true self-proclaimed geek should be watching this trailer right now.
First Real Trailer for Guillermo Arriaga's The Burning Plain
The first international trailer for the directorial debut of 21 Grams screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga has debuted. His film is called The Burning Plain, and similar to Babel, it's an ensemble piece about with a two-tiered storyline concerning a mother and daughter who try to form a bond again later in their lives. I've heard a considerable amount about this film - it played at the Venice, Toronto, Glasgow, and Seattle Film Festivals - but I still haven't ever seen it. I keep passing up opportunities because I've only ever heard mediocre things. But it will be out in theaters in September, so check out the trailer if you so desire.
Exclusive: Amenabar Interested in Making More Astronomer Movies
Now that the 2009 Cannes Film Festival has officially to an end, it's time to look forward to what's next from some of the filmmakers who walked the red carpet. While I don't expect Alejandro Amenabar's Agora to come out of the fest with a huge amount of buzz, it will eventually play well in US theaters (once it's bought) and should at least receive some acclaim for its stunning production design. I had the chance to speak with writer and director Alejandro Amenabar (seen above on set) last week - the full interview will be up tomorrow - and he mentioned some ideas for continuing on with more astronomer based movies.
Worth Watching - May 24: French Cliffhanger-ish Vertige Trailer
Forget that Cliffhanger remake, just watch this instead! Here's the pitch for Vertige: A group of friends on vacation decide to venture onto a trail high up in the mountains that has been closed for repairs. The climb proves more perilous than planned, especially as they soon realize that they are not alone. The adventure turns into a nightmare. It's a modernized, French version of Cliffhanger, with some impressive camera work, but unimpressive characters. The trailer was discovered by ShockTillYouDrop and it looks like it could be fun. But are they being sabotaged or does their climbing gear just suck? Check out the trailer below.
First Official Trailer for Last Ride Starring Hugo Weaving
From Australia comes the first trailer for Glendyn Ivin's Last Ride, an indie drama starring Hugo Weaving and Tom Russell. In the film, Weaving plays a father who takes his son on the run after committing a crime and ends up trekking through the desert. This is one of the first times I've even heard of this movie, but it looks great and I can't wait to check it out, if it evers makes its way to America. I'm a huge fan of Hugo Weaving, to the point where I expect to love almost anything he's in, and this is the first small indie feature he's been in in a while. Thanks to our friends at Quiet Earth for digging up this trailer. Watch and enjoy!
Nathan Johnson Talks About Scoring The Brothers Bloom
Those of you who have seen Rian Johnson's The Brothers Bloom (which is playing in theaters now) probably know how awesome the score in it is. It was composed by Nathan Johnson, Rian's cousin, and is one of my very favorite scores of the last few years. The moment I stepped out of Brothers Bloom in Toronto last year, I was dying to listen to it again over and over. The soundtrack was only recently released on iTunes but is more than worth the $9.99 price tag. Not only is it worth featuring today, but this is primarily about the fantastic interview that Dave Chen of the /FilmCast conducted with Nathan recently about the score.
First Look: Natalie Portman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Hesher
It's a slow news day and these aren't the best photos, but Hesher is a project I'm very excited for and I'm happy to see them anyway. Just Jared has some new paparazzi shots of Natalie Portman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in character on the set of Hesher, and an indie comedy from Spencer Susser. The story centers on a loser (Gordon-Levitt) who invades the life of an awkward 13-year-old boy living with his father (played by Rainn Wilson) and grandmother. Portman will play a supermarket worker for whom the kid (I'm assuming the 13-year-old one) falls for after she saves him from a bully. See two photos from the set below.
Filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky Returning With 'King Shot'
If you're familiar with the work of Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky (Fando y Lis, El Topo, The Holy Mountain), you might wonder how he'd fit in with modern cinema. He's something of a relic, from a great time when someone like Luis Bunuel could regularly garner Oscar nominations, and when former Beatles (and their wives) had their hands in producing art films. Today, however, John Lennon is no longer around to champion Jodorowsky, and the shocking surrealist has lost his placement in between Bunuel and Pier Paolo Pasolini in terms of contemporary relevance. Now he's set to make his triumphant return.
Terrence Malick's Tree of Life Coming to Theaters This Year?
We've been hearing tidbits off and on for a while now about Terrence Malick's Tree of Life, which shot from February to July of last year and is presumably ready to go (or so we've heard). But its been almost a year since Malick wrapped and yet we still have no real details. As far as I know, the film doesn't have US distributor yet, but is listed for 2010 on IMDb. But could we actually see it this year? Might it also have some Oscar potential? ScreenDaily (via The Playlist) posted an article about the film selling internationally at Cannes recently and in it they mention that Tree Of Life is "due for release in the US later this year."
Audiard's Un Prophete Acquired by Sony Pictures Classics
My favorite film of the fest has just been acquired. Sony Pictures Classics has nabbed the rights to Jacques Audiard's Un Prophete, which we debuted a teaser trailer for a few days ago. Not only did I give the film a glowing review, but critics in Cannes have been saying great things about it (see below). Apparently the price for the film was quite high, but SPC just decided to go for anyway. They can probably turn it into a big Oscar contender, at least in the Foreign Language Film category. Hopefully they set a release date for Audiard's Un Prophete sometime later this year, and not next year, as it has a lot of buzz at the moment.
Happy Birthday Clip from Woody Allen's Whatever Works
In anticipation of the upcoming release of Woody Allen's Whatever Works, Sony Pictures Classics has debuted a new set of clips from the film. As everyone knows, I normally do not post clips, but because I loved Whatever Works and because this is more than just a standard clip (it's three strung together, as you'll see) I wanted to break my own rules to feature it today. If anything, it's a way of showing you more of Larry David as Boris Yellnikoff and how ridiculously quirky his character is in this movie. And this is all just the beginning, because it gets so much crazier in the actual movie, don't worry. Check out the clip below.
More Remakes: Park Chan-wook's Thirst and Bong Joon-ho's Mother
Another day, another few remakes. This time it's not just one remake, but six! Variety has published a brief update from Cannes outlining the remake status of six films from Korean directors Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho. The focus is mainly on Park's Thirst, which debuted at Cannes already and is being circled by big producers for a remake. But that's not the only Park Chan-wook film being remade - Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance remakes are all in development as well. As for Bong Joon-ho, his Cannes film Mother as well as the creature feature The Host are being circled, too.
IFC Picks Up Lars von Trier's Controversial Film Antichrist
Did all the heated controversy surrounding the first reviews of Lars von Trier's Antichrist make any of you actually want to see the film? If so, then good news, as IFC has picked up the US distribution rights to Antichrist, and will be bringing it to theaters (hopefully?) sometime later this year. The only problem is that von Trier's crazy new film borders on the edge of being NC-17. Actually, it pretty much is straight up NC-17, so I don't exactly know how IFC is going to handle its release and/or if they're going to just put it out as an NC-17 film straight-up (kind of like Ang Lee's Lust Caution from a few years ago). Read on for more.