For A Few Movies More

Looper Theatrical and International Trailers

Directed By Rian Johnson

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt

I hate to be that guy again, but I haven’t actually watched either of these brand spanking new trailers for Rian Johnson’s time travelling thriller, Looper, nor do I plan to. I watched the teaser, the film looked amazing and that’s all I need to know. I’m happy living in my blissfully unaware world over here damn it! I don’t need to know any specifics, I don’t want to discover who out of  Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis is our real protagonist, or if one of them is going to turn heel, or if there’s some unexpected plot twist up ahead on the horizon. There appears to be a plethora of secrets hidden within the depths of Looper’s core, and at the risk of sounding like an unprofessional film critic, I refuse to indulge in any more of its promotional material. We’re all only awarded a single opportunity for any given film to take us on a journey and surprise us with its winding narrative, so why spoil that? Especially when talking about a film as intriguing as this.

For those out there who want a taste of what’s in store but also don’t want to spoil too much, then I offer a simple synopsis: in the future time travel is a reality. The catch is, it’s illegal and only accessible on the black market. Taking full advantage of this new technology is the mob who tired of whacking their intended targets themselves, instead send their victims back 30 years in the past where a gun for hire known as a Looper is waiting to deliver the killing blow. However when one of these Loopers (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) comes face to face with his future self (Bruce Willis), things get a whole lot more interesting. Needless to say, what little I’ve seen of the film looks spectacular and I’m adamantly crossing my fingers, toes, arms and legs in the hope that Rian Johnson will deliver the intelligent science-fiction thriller we’re all desperately craving.

Anticipation Level: 4.5/5

 

The Dark Knight Rises TV Spot

Directed By Christopher Nolan

Starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman

I’m going make this nice and short. I’m literally jumping out of my skin in anticipation to see The Dark Knight Rises, and while all of these promotional trailers have indeed succeeded in hyping up the film for me to an incomprehensible level, I’m just sick of them. Seriously, enough already! We don’t need the entire film spoilt for us before we ever step foot in the theatre. Still, this latest TV spot is relatively short and fails to reveal any further details that haven’t already been exposed in previous trailers. So if you want your fix of The Dark Knight Rises then the spot bellow will keep you happy. But if you want to savour the little secrecy the film has left, then best to just skip it.

Anticipation Level: 5/5

 

The Tall Man

Directed By Pascal Laugier

Starring Jessica Biel, Jodelle Ferland and Stephen McHattie

Director Pascal Laugier garnered a lot of attention and critical acclaim with his French breakout horror film, Martyrs. A bleak, brutal affair that focused on the vile deeds humans can inflict upon each other, Martyrs was the type of film that possessed the ability to make you sick to your stomach while simultaneously stimulating your mind. In short, it was something of a modern horror masterpiece. So with many are still recovering from Martyrs’ powerful shockwaves, it’s understandable that heavy expectations were placed on Laugier’s shoulders in regards to his next cinematic effort. But to his credit, it appears the director may have delivered a worthy followup. It’s hard to properly gauge what exactly The Tall Man is about, but the film appears to focus on some sort of local boogeyman terrorising the children of a small town. Looks like tense stuff, if not a little conventional compared to the unique stylings of Martyrs.

Anticipation Level: 3.5/5

 

Frankenweenie Trailer 2

Directed By Tim Burton

Starring Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short

Adapted from a short stop-motion film Tim Burton directed way back in 1984, Frankenweenie has been in the works for a long while now. Remaining faithful to the original short, this big screen incarnation focuses on the relationship between a young boy, Victor, and his dog, Sparky. However when Sparky passes away unexpectedly, Victor turns to science to bring his pooch back from the dead. With his best friend alive and kicking once more, all is well again in Victor’s life, that is until a stitched up Sparky gets loose and brings all sorts of havoc along with him to the outside world.

I simply can’t garner up enough kind words for Frankenweenie. The film looks simply adorable. The relationship between Victor and Sparky in particular looks heartwarming, indicating that there might be some real emotion flowing through this sweet-natured venture. I don’t usually get too excited over kids movies but this looks like one of those rare examples that has the potential to appeal to young and old alike. Tim Burton may have been trapped in creative limbo as of late, but if the trailers for Frankenweenie are any indication, then he may finally be able to claw himself back out of move jail.

Anticipation Level: 4.5/5

 

The Man With The Iron Fists Red Band Trailer

Directed By RZA

Starring Russell Crowe, Jamie Chung and Lucy Liu

RZA, one of The Wu-Tang Clan’s founding members is certainly blessed with unique musical stylings as demonstrated by his work on the Kill Bill films amongst others, and now it appears he’s about to bring his influences to life visually with his debut feature film. Presented by Quentin Tarantino and co-written by Eli Roth, The Man With The Iron Fists is an over the top love letter to the B-grade kung fu movies from days gone by. The film is clearly a bloody affair with eyeballs being sent flying across rooms and throats slit with reckless abandon, but it’s all very tongue in cheek. This clearly isn’t a film that’s supposed to be taken seriously, instead I imagine it’s best viewed with your brain left at the door. The Man With The Iron Fists is the sort of cheesy good time that’s right up my alley, although I must admit that the over reliance on obvious CGI kind of ruins the otherwise delightful old-school look. With that said, it still looks like a ton of fun. Plus it has Batisita in it. And if you need to ask who that is, then it appears you and I can’t be friends…

Anticipation Level: 3.5/5

 

Here Comes The Boom

Directed By Frank Coraci

Starring Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler and Joe Rogan

Hey look, it’s Kevin James in a mixed martial arts movie complete with pratfalls and silly one-liners. Sounds terrible right? Well, the funny thing is, it doesn’t actually look all that bad… Here Comes The Boom focuses on a high school teacher who throws himself into the world of mixed martial arts in order to raise enough money to save his school.

Let’s get this out of the way with first, Warrior this is not. Warrior was an emotion fuelled excursion into the world of MMA, complete with powerful performances and intense fight sequences. Here Comes The Boom on the other hand is a much lighter take on similar material. Only you know, with more Kevin James. In all fairness this is the most serious I’ve ever seen James and he seems much easier to tolerate as a result. Plus I’m a sucker for these Rocky inspired movies, so while I’m not too proud to admit this, I’ll certainly be seeing this in the cinema upon release. Looks like the definition of a brain-dead popcorn movie.

Anticipation Level: 3/5

 

Epic

Directed By Chris Wedge

Starring Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Colin Farrell, Jason Sudeikis and Beyoncé Knowles

Telling the tried and tested story of good vs evil, Epic is the latest animated venture from the studio that borough us the Ice Age films, Blue Sky Studios. Here the good in question is a teenage girl who finds herself transported into a secret world full of diminutive people residing deep in the forest who call on her to help save their world.

To call Epic a beautiful film would be a cruel understatement. The film is pure bliss for the eyes. The big question is whether the film’s narrative and the many characters inhabiting its world will be as equally attention grabbing. Little of interest besides one long set piece is shown in the trailer, but the action is riveting, the soundtrack effective and the few quips curtsey of the talking slugs are actually pretty amusing. Here’s hoping the rest of the film turns out to be as equally impressive.

Anticipation Level: 3/5

 

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

Directed By Takashi Miike

Starring Kôji Yakusho, Eita and Naoto Takenaka

Did I ever tell you the story about how I missed out on seeing Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai at the recent Sydney Film Festival because I was too slow with purchasing my tickets? No? Well, I really do have to tell you that exciting tale in full one day, it’s truly riveting stuff. Apparently much unlike Takashi Miike’s latest samurai venture. As intriguing as the trailers make this visually impressive film look, the early word is that the film is a very slow, very dull slog to get through. But here’s the thing about Takashi Miike, the man has two settings. Audience friendly, or weird as shit. But when I say weird, that’s a reference to his film’s that either feature demonic pig-headed beings, or those that are paced in an incredibly odd fashion. For while most filmmakers are satisfied with sticking to the familiar  formulas, Miike is never one to feel afraid to step outside the square. And it’s for that reason alone that I’m willing to ignore the early criticism levelled at the film and give it a fair chance. I have seen imagery in some of Miike’s lesser films that I won’t ever forget, so even if Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai isn’t a masterpiece, I’m sure there will still be some memorable sequences at the very least. Plus this is Miike’s first foray in 3D. And considering how fantastic the trailer looks in 2D, one can only imagine how good it looks in 3D.

Anticipation Level: 3.5/5

 

The Sessions

Directed By Ben Lewin

Starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H. Macy

Original concepts are few and far between in the current world of film that’s so heavily dominated by retreads, clones and sequels. So when a film like The Sessions comes along, you can literally here the collective sighs of relief amongst film lovers from all around the globe. Here John Hawkes stars as poet Mark O’Brien who’s confined to an iron lung as a result of contracting a bout of polio when he was just a young boy. Refusing to live by the constricting conditions life has saddled him with, at the ripe age of 38 Mark decides it’s time he finally looses his virginity, a deed he sees accomplished by calling on a sex surrogate. An act that leads to unusual and tender relationship.

The most surprising aspect of this trailer for The Sessions is the tone it adopts. The subject matter has a somewhat grim edge to it, so it’s startling to see what could have been confronting subject matter dealt with in such a lighthearted and comedic manner. However it’s this strange mixture that makes the film look so enticing. Part raunchy sex comedy and part against the odds tale of perseverance, The Sessions appears to be a genuinely interesting feature made all the more intriguing thanks to the widely positive reviews it has garnered so far. Plus the chance to watch the ever talented John Hawkes play such a complex character looks to be worth the price of admission alone.

Anticipation Level: 4/5

 

Silver Linings Playbook

Directed By David O. Russell

Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Stiles and Robert De Niro

Bradely Cooper is something of a mixed bag when looking back upon the characters he’s played. For every time he’s stepped into the shoes of an interesting, fleshed out individual, there’s another five instances of him portraying a shallow dimwit. So it’s refreshing to see him step into such a layered role in David O. Russell’s latest outing, Silver Linings Playbook. Here Cooper plays Pat, a former teacher who after being released from a mental institution, moves back in with his parents and attempts to reconnect with his estranged ex-wife. But when Pat meets the equally troubled Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a young woman whose life has also crumbled around her, the pair form a unique friendship.

While I may have been singing Cooper’s praises earlier for his mesmerizing performance in Silver Linings Playbook, it’s Jennifer Lawrence who deserves an equal heaping of compliments. Lawrence has proven she can act as demonstrated by her roles in X-Men: First Class and The Hunger Games amongst others, but here she appears to have really come into her own as an actress. She looks quirky, cute and funny in her role, but there’s also a tangible sense of unease bubbling below the surface. But besides the commendable performances from the two leads, Silver Linings Playbook looks like an entertaining and very unconventional take on the romantic comedy genre.

Anticipation Level: 3.5/5

 

Alex Cross

Directed By Rob Cohen

Starring Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Rachel Nichols and Jean Reno

So here’s the thing, we don’t get the Madea films down here in Australia. I’m not too sure why, I guess the distributors figured that the Australian public wouldn’t be able to handle a series of films featuring a cross-dressing protagonist. So while there’s an army of online protesters angry at the prospect of Tyler Perry playing the titular Alex Cross, a role that at one stage was considered for the infinitely more talented Idris Elba, I can’t share the same sense of rage. Sure, Elba would have been a fantastic substitute, but Tyler Perry looks passable in his role here. His energy levels might be low, but he has enough screen presence to make for a decent protagonist. Even if he does appear to be on the verge of falling asleep in every scene. On the flip side, Matthew Fox looks amazing in his role as the Picasso killer. And I don’t mean amazing as in oscar worthy, I mean amazing as in the man looks so batshit crazy that he looks like he possibly murdered a few crew members on set just to pass the time. The guy in almost unrecognisable. So while the overall tone of Alex Cross looks decidedly B-grade, I will still see the film if only for Fox’s manic performance.

Anticipation Level: 2.5/5

 

Fun Size

Directed By Josh Schwartz

Starring Victoria Justice, Johnny Knoxville and Chelsea Handler

Wow, since when did Nickelodeon movies get so, well, good? In his directorial debut, Josh Schwartz (the creative mind behind the O.C. and co-creator of Chuck and Gossip Girl) has crafted a crazy party movie in the vein of Can’t Hardly Wait, only most probably a little tamer. Saddled up with the task of looking after her younger brother, Albert, on the night of the huge Halloween party, high schooler Wren defies her mother’s order and sneaks out to go to the party only with her brother in tow. However Albert goes missing, Wren embarks on an adventure that sees her interacting with strange characters and getting into all sorts of trouble, all the while Albert is roped into aiding a heartbroken man.

I was a little turned off by the Nickelodeon brand before I watched the trailer for Fun Size. I mean when was the last time Nickelodeon made a movie with wide appeal? But as it turns out, Fun Size actually looks genuinely entertaining. The Halloween setting immediately hooked me, the characters look tolerable enough and there appears to be some hearty laughs to be had. Looks surprisingly promising.

Anticipation Level: 3/5

 

The Awakening

Directed By Nick Murphy

Starring Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton

Take a pinch of the Devil’s Backbone, a touch of The Woman In Black and whole handful of The Orphanage and the gothic horror film that you will have concocted might look something remarkably like  The Awakening. Set in 1921, The Awakening focuses on a ghost hunter played by Rebecca Hall who is summoned to a boy’s boarding school to debunk the claims of spectres roaming the hallways. However since this is a horror film, these supernatural reports turn out to compromise of far more truth than initially expected.

The Awakening may seem to borrow several familiar traits from various other sources, however the film still looks creepy and atmospheric enough to stand on its own two feet. And while there aren’t any specific moments in the trailer that will see you leaping out of your skin in terror, there’s a distinctively unsettling vibe lingering in the air, painting a grim picture of what’s to come. Looks like a promising alternative for those looking for a more restrained, mature horror film.

Anticipation Level: 3.5/5

 

Robot And Frank

Directed By Jake Schreier

Starring Frank Langella, Peter Sarsgaard, James Marsden, Liv Tyler and Susan Sarandon

Set in the near future, Robot And Frank stars Frank Langella as a retired cat burglar left to live out his days alone. But when Frank’s son decides his father can no longer live by himself, he gives his father a gift; a fully functioning, communicative robot. Soon Frank and the robot form the unlikeliest of friendships, prompting Frank to return back to the world of crime he left behind so long ago.

If you read the above synopsis without watching the trailer for Robot And Frank, then chances are you’ve pictured an entirely different film in your mind. For while the concept may seem stretched, the execution looks impeccable. Frank Langella’s performance looks flawless, but it’s the inclusion of robot that would either make or break a film such as this, but luckily the way the caring cyborg is utilised makes for some hilarious gags, not to mention some incredibly sweet moments. Robot And Frank looks like a nice surprise for those looking for something a little different, and if the early buzz for the film is anything to go by, it delivers in offering both gleeful entertainment and sweet-natured emotion.

Anticipation Level: 3.5/5

 

Easy Money

Directed By Daniel Espinosa

Starring Joel Kinnaman, Matias Varela and Dragomir Mrsic

A huge hit in its native country of Sweeden upon release back in 2010, the originally titled Snabba Cash is finally getting an international release under the more accessible name, Easy Money. An interconnecting story focusing on organised crime, is some ways Easy Money feels like a foreign Martin Scorsese film, so there’s little wonder the legendary director has decided to present the film. The trailer itself is a fantastic piece of work. Little is shown in the way of plot, but the frantic, violent imagery makes for intense viewing. Looks like a strong little crime thriller.

Anticipation Level: 3.5/5

 

Red Hook Summer

Directed By Spike Lee

Starring Jules Brown, Thomas Jefferson Byrd and Toni Lysaith

Spike Lee is back and once again he has chosen to take us on a tour of the mean streets of Brooklyn. The film focuses of Filk, a young boy who leaves his home of Atalanta for the summer to live with his religious grandfather in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Unsatisfied with his new locale and company, Filk discovers solace in the guise of a young girl, Chazz (Toni Lysaith).

With its strangely vibrant low-fi visuals and centred characters, there’s a enough here to appeal to longtime Spike Lee fans. However with that said, there’s very little of interest that truly springs off the screen. I guess all of the drama and entertainment will be a product of the character’s interactions. Also the two-hour plus runtime the film is paired with kind of scares me. I just can’t see this particular film with its mellow subject matter managing sustain viewer’s interests for that long. But perhaps that statement just says more about my short attention-span and less about this potentially promising film…

Anticipation Level: 2.5/5

 

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away

Directed By Andrew Adamson

Starring Erica Linz, Sophia Elisabeth and Dallas Barnett

I clicked on the Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away trailer expecting to be bitterly unimpressed, I mean if you’ve seen one trippy dance/acrobatic performance you’ve seen them all right? Well judging by the amazing footage showcased here, apparently not. Director Andrew Adamson and super producer James Cameron have teamed up to bring the mesmerizing world of  Cirque du Soleil to new heights with this 3D venture. Combining a family friendly story with some impressive physical feats and jaw-dropping visuals, Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away looks like a delight for the senses and an experience that demands to be seen inside a cinema.

Anticipation Level: 3/5