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NEW “Contagion” Trailer
Yesterday, I got a shaky, poor-quality glimpse of the bootleg “Dark Knight Rises” teaser, said to be officially premiered tonight at midnight. Didn’t think this week could get much more exciting. I was wrong.
This has definitely been a film that’s been high on my must-see radar of 2011 for quite some time. Steven Soderbergh teaming with Matt Damon is always a treat (this is their fifth collaboration). However, it certainly doesn’t hurt to also bill Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, John Hawkes and Kate Winslet. It’s not much of a stretch to call that the best cast of the year, what with 14 nominations and 4 Oscar wins between them, already.
The trailer screams one word more than anything else, and it’s all I could have ever hoped for: DARK. Many pieces of entertainment featuring lethal outbreaks and deadly diseases have come about over the years, Wolfgang Petersen’s film “Outbreak” and Tom Clancy’s novel “Rainbow Six” being the most prominent. What all of those works seem to portray is what MIGHT happen in the case of a deadly virus unleashed upon the world’s population. Instead of following that same formula, “Contagion” seems to portray instead what DOES, or what WILL happen in that case scenario. And in the hands of such a capable director, one who is known for taking a no-holds-barred approach to tense subject matter, this film might not only be genuinely frightening, but also brilliant, as both a white-knuckle thriller and a touching human tragedy.
This having been shot in Chicago, I know a number of people who worked on it. Through them, I’ve been privy to a few scenes that definitely back up some of the themes I just foreshadowed. However, I really hate to spoil anything at all, so I’ll just keep them to myself. I am a little miffed that they’ve pushed up the release from October to September. Having only finished shooting in the last month, I’m surprised they’re so confident in such a quick release. Also, September has become known as a no-man’s land for studios to dump films that get left over from summer’s slate, yet are not quite so confidence-inspiring to warrant a fall/holiday push. I hope that “Contagion” has not been lumped into said category.
Anyway, check out the fantastic trailer in full HD quality, below.
NEW Trailer for “Crazy Stupid Love”
Yes, another movie trailer. What can I say? I love them. Who doesn’t? However this one, after you watch it, you will definitely not be sorry that I posted it.
Directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa rose to the very top of my watchlist last year when they finally got a chance to release their much-anticipated film “I Love You Phillip Morris.” The film was as inventive as it was hilarious and should have easily netted Jim Carrey his first Oscar nomination. Now, the pair of artists has seemed to further their quest to ultimately change the face of the romantic comedy and turning it into something someone with taste and self respect can enjoy.
“Crazy Stupid Love” tells the story of a man (Steve Carell), down on his luck, whose marriage is officially ending. He’s forced to get back into the dating game in who knows how long. He enlists the assistance of a five star player who can seemingly get with any girl he pleases. Carell completely changes his appearance and personality, but cannot change his inner self as he realizes that he cannot change what he really wants. Meanwhile, Gosling is discovering that love might actually be in the cards for him, forever changing his lifestyle and putting him in a situation that he doesn’t know how to control.
This film looks phenomenal on more levels than I can count. Who knew that throwing two guys like Carell and Gosling into a film together could create such a dynamite composition. Bolstered by the acting (and star, for that matter) power of Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon, this film is literally gushing with potential. Yes, at times, the film does look like a higher brow remake of “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” an outstanding romantic comedy, in its own right. However, I feel that there’s something more at work here that could blow the above-mentioned film out of the water. It looks funny, touching and more than a little original. The film is set to be released on July 29th, and you can bet that I’ll be there opening weekend. I have a feeling that you all should, too.
Check out the trailer embed, below, or the link to the high quality Apple version below it.
Best Super Bowl Movie Previews
I’m not always a loyal Super Bowl watcher, but for this time around, I had an even greater sense of malaise towards it than normal. I live in Chicago and grew up in Cleveland. Therefore, seeing the arch rivals of both of my teams battle it out wasn’t exactly generating any huge interest in my mind. No matter who won, I would be pissed. Therefore, I found my refuge in the ads of the night, in particular, the film previews.
Aside from “Battle: Los Angeles” (which I’ve already posted quite a bit of footage for, already), there were three teasers that I had me pretty stoked. “Cowboys vs. Aliens” upped their amount of footage on display from the teaser released last year. Still looks as fun as ever. We also got our first look at J.J. Abrams incredibly secret project “Super 8.” The film literally looks like a direct crossover between “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” and “The Iron Giant,” and that’s not a bad get. Having Steven Spielberg’s name plastered on it didn’t alter that perception.
However, there was one teaser that absolutely stood above the rest. Unbelievably, and I mean UNBELIEVABLY, it is “Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon.” Let’s face it, that spot was awesome. Maybe it was the press release a few weeks back in which Michael Bay, himself, admitted that “Revenge of the Fallen” was a giant turd and he promised that this one would get it right. Maybe it’s the news that “The Dark Knight Rises” production might be pulling completely out of Chicago and it was amazing to see the second city featured so strongly in a film. Maybe it’s the fact that my girlfriend and about twenty of my friends worked on the film. Whatever it is, I have surprisingly, and possibly shamefully, become incredibly excited for this film. God help us all.
Check out the spots for all 3 films below:
“The Conspirator” Trailer
Well, I guess it’s never too early to start planning ahead for next year’s Oscar race, even if we haven’t gotten done with the previous one, yet. I might be a little bit more psyched for this film had it not been Robert Redford’s last directorial misstep, “Lions for Lambs,” a film that was also, at one point, considered an Oscar contender.
To be honest, there’s really not a lot that doesn’t look compelling about this movie. It’s an important and tragic historical tale about one of the most pivotal points in the country’s history. It’s a courtroom drama, with potential for a lot of fiery dialogue and tension. Plus you’ve got a cast of James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Evan Rachel Wood, Colm Meaney, Kevin Kline, Norman Reedus, Justin Long, Danny Huston, Alexis Bledel, and the legendary Tom Wilkinson.
Whether or not it measures up we won’t know until its arrival. Personally, I’m kind of looking forward to that date.
Check out the trailer, below:
My Top Ten Trailers of 2010
So, it’s been a while since I’ve made my last list, aside from the unveiling of the Mitchell List. My last compilation was the Top Ten Movie Monsters of all time, which was a reasonable hit for the site. Now, it’s time for the second edition: The Top Ten Trailers of 2010.
I love movie trailers. I know that some people can’t stand them and even refuse to watch them, but I believe that they can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of going to the movies, as long as their made well. It’s always, actually, been a semi-dream job of mine to edit trailers, because there’s really nothing more fun.
In order to be phenomenal, a trailer must have many of the same qualifications of a great film. It has to have stellar pacing, it must give proper introduction to the film’s character’s and plot. However, unlike a film, it cannot give too much away of the plot and has to leave something exciting for the ticket price. It usually doesn’t hurt to have a decent choice of music, too.
The following are a selection of my favorite trailers that encompass all of these aspects. This includes trailers only for films released during the 2010 year, or else “Battle: Los Angeles” would most certainly be here. Without, further ado, here are the five runners-up:
The Edge of the Frame 