Thursday, July 30, 2009

A Serious Man Trailer

I'm not sure what to make of the new Coen Brothers trailer.

Which is usually a good thing when it comes to a Coen brother film.

One thing I know for sure is that this trailer is HIGHLY unsettling to watch.



I'm hoping it's a dark comedy but this thing looks like it can turn slapstick silly on a dime and profoundly dramatic in even less then that.

A Serious Man is scheduled for release October 2, 2009.


Fantastic Mr. Fox Trailer

I enjoy Wes Anderson's movies. Although usually overrated his works tend to be quirky and unique which seems to be the case of his upcoming film The Fantastic Mr. Fox

The film is based on the book by Roald Dahl and is a stop motion animated film.



The cast includes George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Wes Anderson regulars Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson.

The film is tentatively scheduled for release November 13, 2009.



Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Tron Legacy Teaser Trailer

Although Tron was a popular video game in my time I actually never saw the movie. If I remember correctly the movie wasn't even a huge hit. So it's surprising, to say the least, that they are releasing a sequel 28 years later.

The film is already releasing viral sites to help spread the word. At the 2009 Comic-con in San Diego they released this footage from the film featuring original Tron cast member Jeff Bridges.



Impressive. IMAX 3D. Maybe I'll check out the original film on DVD and see if it's something I can get into.

Tron Legacy is scheduled for release sometime in 2010.



Where the Wild Things Are Featurette

Here's an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Where the Wild Things Are film directed by Spike Jonze. This featurette debuted at the 2009 Comic-con in San Diego and features the insights of author Maurice Sendak on the high profile project.



If your not familiar with the source material here's a nice video presentation of the classic children's story.



Where the Wild Things Are is scheduled for release October 16, 2009


Hot Tub Time Machine Trailer

Hot Tub Time Machine

Umm...I think that title says it all.





Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland Teaser Trailer

Well here's the teaser trailer for the new Tim Burton directed version of Alice in Wonderland starring Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter.

The film features the usual Tim Burton visual flair. Judging by this teaser trailer the film is not as dark as previously suspected.



The film is tentatively scheduled for release March 5, 2010.



Saturday, July 11, 2009

Cemetey Junction Teaser Trailer

Wow...looks like Ricky Gervais is a busy boy.

His feature film directorial debut The Invention of Lying is scheduled for release on September 25, 2009 and it looks like he's already working on his next starring and directing vehicle, Cemetery Junction.



The film is co-directed by Stephen Merchant.

These guys are gut-busting funny just standing around. I can't imagine how funny the actual footage will be.

The film is tentatively scheduled for release in 2010.


Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Public Enemies directed by Michael Mann


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Michael Mann films defy description.

His movies are always sold to the public as big budget action films, but in the midst of watching them it quickly becomes apparent that his works are actually dramatic, fascinating, intricate character pieces.

Well...dramatic character pieces that also happens to have riveting, intense and well choreographed action.

I believe it would be more appropriate if his films were released during awards season instead of the summer action movie season.

His works routinely deserve legitimate Oscar consideration.

This is especially true of his most recent release Public Enemies, which is arguably his best film to date.

The film features his standard awe inspiring action and impressive performances by the entire cast. But this time Mann tackles the historical story of gangster John Dillinger.

Besides the difficulties of translating a real life figure to film, Mann also chose to shoot the movie in digital HD. Which is unusual for a period piece.

I'm happy to report that Mann succeeds on all fronts.

The motion picture is stunning in it's visual quality. Especially impressive is the production design and look of the video. The clarity of the depth of field that a Digital HD Camera provides is remarkable and something I really didn't notice till watching this movie.

As far as the performances go, it all begins of course with Johnny Depp, who turns in a well-publicized, complicated and charming performance as the famous gangster John Dillinger. Depp's Dillinger is a character who is affable one second, yet deadly and frustratingly short sighted the next. It's a fascinating and perhaps the most accurate portrait of a man who was seen in stark contrast as a likeable gentlemen by some and as a murderous robber by others.




As the soft spoken and humble Billie Frechette, Marion Cotillard solidifies her position in Hollywood as one of the most interesting young actresses working today. In this film she turns in a heartbreaking performance. Although obviously not the biggest role in the film, it's clear by the end that the movie's heart lies in her character.



In a thankless yet pivotal role, Christian Bale turns in a terrific understated performance as the conflicted and ultimately mentally anguished Melvin Purvis. I find it stunning that the performance is being overlooked by critics. It's a performance so complicated and intricate that his work isn't even fully realized until the final post script of the film.



But the performance that I appreciated the most though was Stephen Lang as Charles Winstead. Lang has very little dialogue in the film but his presence and authority in the story is stunning to witness. His final scene with Marion Cotillard is fantastic to watch and will perhaps go down as a classic scene in modern movie history.

Make no mistake about it however, the motion picture is signature Michael Mann.

The movie has his trademark incredible action and excellent drama. But what I really appreciated about the picture was how Mann dealt with historic moments like Dillinger's classic escape, with a carved wooden gun from the prison of Sherrif Lillian Holley, played by Lili Taylor. Mann pays no noticeable reverence to this moment. In a lesser hand I'm sure the planning and staging of the event would be overly explained and given undue weight. But in Mann's capable hands the moment is simply carried out with ferocity, realism and a refreshing honesty which makes the moment real for the viewer rather than a stuffy and bloated moment in history. Especially effective is the final moments of Dillinger's life at the movie house. Mann excellently contrasts Dillinger's ultimate fate with scenes of Clark Gable's character from the film Dillinger is watching titled Manhattan Melodrama.

It's fantastic stuff.

Just like the entire movie, which I feel is a legitimate classic and in my humble opinion is a modern masterpiece.



Give the gift of movies