Cut Print Review » Trailer Talk http://cutprintreview.com Australian Movie Reviews, Film News & Competitions Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:56:59 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Trailer Talk: X-Men: First Class http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-x-men-first-class/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-x-men-first-class/#comments Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:21:58 +0000 Paj Sandhu http://cutprintreview.com/?p=16281 X-Men had it all. Mutants. Psychics. Personal rivalries. It dealt with themes of identity, racism and relationships. Oh and it had giant robots too!

The X-Men have always been one of the most iconic and popular of the superhero comics, and their transition to the movies was an unlikely success, helped by excellent casting and a serious treatment of the material. The first couple of movie adaptations by director Bryan Singer [...]]]> X-Men had it all. Mutants. Psychics. Personal rivalries. It dealt with themes of identity, racism and relationships. Oh and it had giant robots too!

The X-Men have always been one of the most iconic and popular of the superhero comics, and their transition to the movies was an unlikely success, helped by excellent casting and a serious treatment of the material. The first couple of movie adaptations by director Bryan Singer really lived up to the promise the series held, however after the weak third entry X-Men: The Last Stand, and the highly disappointing prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine, fans were worried that the latest entry into the franchise, X-Men: First Class, would continue the downward trend. Then, this trailer debuted.

X-Men: First Class has been in the works for some time under the guidance of promising English director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Stardust), alongside the planned Wolverine movies of which the second is now in production (though after the first one, that might not be the best idea). Like the Wolverine movie, X-Men: First Class centres around some of the iconic characters from the original X-Men in their younger days; namely Charles Xavier (Professor X), played by James McAvoy (The Last Station)  and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), played Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds).

First Class takes us back to a time when Charles and Erik were still close friends and allies, telling the story of how they founded the school for mutants that would eventually harbor the likes of Wolverine and Storm. In the trailer, we we are introduced to the Cold War paranoia of the 60s and 70s as President John F. Kennedy addresses the nation on the threat of the Cuban Missile silos. The crisis presents the perfect opportunity for Charles and Erik and their fledgling class of mutants to strut their stuff and intervene in Cuba, presumably saving the world from nuclear destruction.

From here we are treated to a feast of spectacular visuals and an array of fan-pleasing mutant cameos; most notably Mystique and Emma Frost. But as the trailer draws to a close, the real meat of the story is finally highlighted; the growing and inevitable tension between Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, and their eventual transformation into rival mutant leaders Professor X and Magneto.

After the disaster that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, there’s reason to be suspect about another origins film. However, from the look and tone of the trailer, First Class is shaping up rather well. The action seems sharp and engaging. The story appears straightforward and immediately coherent. Most important of all, the relationship between Charles and Erik looks to be front and centre. At the end of the day, the drama between those characters will determine the success of the film in the eyes of fans. We have to believe their friendship and subsequent falling out resulted in one of the most famous comic book feuds in history.

For now, colour me optimistic as this trailer for X-Men: First Class is right on the money. But what do you think; does First Class look like it will be worth the wait? Or will it be another Wolverine? Sound off below!

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-x-men-first-class/feed/ 5 Trailer Talk: The Beaver http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-the-beaver/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-the-beaver/#comments Sat, 18 Dec 2010 08:35:56 +0000 Paj Sandhu http://cutprintreview.com/?p=14571 Where did you go Mel Gibson? You were so crazy cool in the Lethal Weapon films. You had your hard-boiled characters of vengeful action in Payback and Ransom. You delivered memorable moments of heroic leadership in epics Braveheart and The Patriot. Where are you now? With your hand up a beaver puppet begging for a second chance, that’s where.

Despite everything, is there a chance – even just a [...]]]> Where did you go Mel Gibson? You were so crazy cool in the Lethal Weapon films. You had your hard-boiled characters of vengeful action in Payback and Ransom. You delivered memorable moments of heroic leadership in epics Braveheart and The Patriot. Where are you now? With your hand up a beaver puppet begging for a second chance, that’s where.

Despite everything, is there a chance – even just a slim one – that the old Mel Gibson can make amends, and maybe – just maybe- make a comeback?

Watch the trailer after the jump!

The Beaver, directed by Gibson’s old friend and acting colleague Jodie Foster, seems to be about just that question, and it’s not subtle about making parallels between the fallen movie star and the character he plays here. Mel Gibson (Edge of Darkness) plays Walter Black, a clinical depressive whose life has come apart. We are shown a weary and teary-eyed Gibson looking stunned and droopy as the following quotes sum up how bad things have gotten for Gibson/Black:

“The successful and family man he used to be has gone missing. And no matter what he’s tried, Walter can’t seem to bring him back.”

“It’s a brain. Mom says yours got broken.”

“You’re sick. Do you want to get better?”

Black does want to get better, and so begins to use a beaver hand puppet as a psychological device to distance himself from the “negative aspects of his persona”. Jodie Foster, as well as directing the film also stars as Black’s wife, and as the trailer shows, is willing to fight to get Black (and presumably Gibson) better. Queue family drama of a flawed man’s redemption, by way of a somewhat ridiculous animal puppet.

If this isn’t a genuine attempt by Mel Gibson at some level of redemption, then it’s at least a very self-conscious publicity stunt designed to drag his name back from the pit of disrepute. The problem for this film however remains inseparably tied to Gibson himself, and how people will perceive The Beaver fits into the larger story of his notorious and heavily publicised outbursts in recent years. Who cares if the character of Walter Black has atoned for his sour past if Mel Gibson himself remains unwilling to address or acknowledge his own behaviour? Unless the film is accompanied by some level of public mea culpa – whether through some Barbara Walters interview or the like, the film may likely ring hollow. Even then, it will be difficult to tell whether the whole affair is really about Mel Gibson feeling sorry for himself instead of actually coming to terms with anything he’s done.

The Beaver film may yet hold some appeal to die hard Mel Gibson fans and the more forgiving people among us. For those of us who were fans of Gibson in the past however, the best we can probably hope for is this may be the first in a long and arduous process of redemption for the once admired actor. But don’t hold your breath.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-the-beaver/feed/ 3 Trailer Talk: Cowboys and Aliens http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-cowboys-and-aliens/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-cowboys-and-aliens/#comments Tue, 07 Dec 2010 23:44:27 +0000 Paj Sandhu http://cutprintreview.com/?p=14351 The title of this new movie from Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau really sums up what Cowboys & Aliens promises to be all about. Take the hard boiled action star of the latest Bond films, Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace), and the grizzled veteran of the 20th Century’s most iconic adventure-blockbusters ever, Harrison Ford, and drop them into the middle of the old American wild [...]]]> The title of this new movie from Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau really sums up what Cowboys & Aliens promises to be all about. Take the hard boiled action star of the latest Bond films, Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace), and the grizzled veteran of the 20th Century’s most iconic adventure-blockbusters ever, Harrison Ford, and drop them into the middle of the old American wild west, and you already have an action packed Western worth checking out.

But wait, there’s more!

Take that Western cowboy setup and throw in some classic UFO alien invasion, backed by the heavy science fiction clout of producers Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard – not to mention writers Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek), Roberto Orci (Star Trek), and Damon Lindelof (Lost) – and suddenly this Western has blasted off into genre-blending mayhem, combining two of the most iconic (and unrelated) film genres in history, very possibly for the first time on screen.

Watch the trailer after the jump!

The trailer opens on a grim-looking Jake Lonergan, played by Daniel Craig, left for dead in the badlands of Arizona, waking to discover a strange metal device attached to his wrist. Soon enough a band of menacing outlaws brandishing guns corners the bewildered Craig, but he makes short work of them and rides off into town. Here he meets mysterious beauty Ella, played by Olivia Wilde (Tron Legacy), and finds he is a wanted man, hunted by a rather intimidating Colonel Dolarhyde, played by Harrison Ford.  However just as things are looking dim for Lonergan, some eerie looking UFOs erupt from the night sky and wreck havoc on the thunderstruck old west town and its characters; blowing up buildings and abducting people with tractor beams in good old true alien invasion fashion. Naturally, Lonergan and Dolarhyde must join forces to somehow confront the alien menace terrorising the Wild West.cowboys and aliens 004 600x383 Trailer Talk: Cowboys and Aliens

The concept is of course ridiculous, but its very absurdity is what seems to lend it such appeal, especially since it is an adaptation of a graphic novel. More than this, the dark tone of the trailer and the quality of the production suggests that Favreau and the film’s makers are treating it like an serious genre blockbuster, pulling out all the stops to create a sensational new event movie that people will be abuzz with anticipation over. Uniting Craig with a real action-adventure veteran like Harrison Ford is definitely an intriguing and promising play, especially with no new Bond movie on the horizon yet, fans of Craig the action star should be pleased with the potential of this crazy new movie.

The concept is fresh and bizarre, and sounds incredibly promising to say the least. Not to mention if the slate of names credited for the film’s production – all with major science fiction accolades under their belts – don’t get your nerd juices flowing, then nothing will. If nothing else, Cowboys & Aliens will be worth keeping an eye on if just to see if they can pull off such a strange but potentially blockbuster movie.

Cowboys & Aliens is due in 2011. Its Australian release date has not yet been determined.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-cowboys-and-aliens/feed/ 2 Trailer Talk: Sucker Punch – Trailer #2 http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-sucker-punch-trailer-2/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-sucker-punch-trailer-2/#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:30:45 +0000 Paj Sandhu http://cutprintreview.com/?p=13522 Zack Snyder has fast become one of the most visually striking directors of our time, delivering some of the most stunning spectacles of cinematic eye candy in films like 300, Watchmen and most recently Legend of the Guardians. The visual treats he has offered have not been a simple matter of high quality special effects [...]]]> Zack Snyder has fast become one of the most visually striking directors of our time, delivering some of the most stunning spectacles of cinematic eye candy in films like 300, Watchmen and most recently Legend of the Guardians. The visual treats he has offered have not been a simple matter of high quality special effects – any director with a budget and a half can do special effects – but Snyder’s films surpass the generic fare because they are all about style. The opening scene and credits of Watchmen or the image of a tree full of corpses in 300 simply ooze style. Snyder’s stylistic, comic-inspired artistry are so eye-meltingly amazing to watch they take on a substance too many blockbusters lack these days which treat action without respect they deserve by opting for mindless fast-cut edits and hyperactive pacing. Snyder however, elevates action and comic-book fantasy to a transcendent ‘higher plane’. No surprise then that his upcoming film Sucker Punch is by all accounts looking like a kick-ass extravaganza of awesome.

Watch the trailer below the jump!

The trailer for Sucker Punch, to put it mildly, looks ballistic. It’s like a psycho-surreal combustion of the craziest, coolest dream you could ever have; hot anime-esque girls toting machine guns and swords; war torn battlefields of blimps and dog fighting bi-planes; giant robots and fire-breathing dragons; and what I can only describe as a colossal samurai golem (if any of you have seen Gasaraki, I kid you not it’s like a Kugai with a Gatling gun). Yes, it’s that insane, and I cannot begin to describe how badly I want to see this.

The story we glimpse from the trailer has an interesting premise to tie all of those incredible elements described above tie into a coherent whole and make some sense. Australia’s Emily Browning (The Uninvited) plays ‘Baby Doll’, an abused girl who finds herself thrown into a mental asylum in the 1950s. Here she meets other girl patients, including Abbie Cornish (Bright Star), Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical 3), Jena Mallone (Five Star Day) and Jamie Chung (Grown Ups),whom band together to plot their escape from the facility. In order to cope, however, the girls delve into their own imaginations, dreaming up the science-fantasy madness we see in the trailer as a way to grapple with their attempt to break out. The trailer shows how the mundane reality of what they’re attempting is transformed into a glorious and heroic quest, as they seek out the items they will need to forge their great escape. Cue Emily Browning in a school girl outfit fighting in trenches with a katana while flak cannons and machine gun fire blaze overhead.

Even if the entire narrative is just a pretext for the most ridiculous eye candy ever, that’s something I’d be more than happy to buy into. If Sucker Punch is even half as crazy and stylish as its trailer is, Snyder will have once again given audiences something to rave about.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-sucker-punch-trailer-2/feed/ 2 Trailer Talk: Liam Neeson in UNKNOWN http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-liam-neeson-in-unknown/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-liam-neeson-in-unknown/#comments Mon, 25 Oct 2010 22:30:15 +0000 Paj Sandhu http://cutprintreview.com/?p=13217 In 2008, Liam Neeson followed up a powerful stint as the villainous Henri Ducard (aka Ra’s al Ghul) in 2005’s Batman Begins with a role even darker, grittier and downright hardcore in the action-thriller Taken. There as a former CIA operative, he was equipped with “a special set of skills” that would help him track down and rescue his kidnapped daughter, and kill those responsible. It was a [...]]]> In 2008, Liam Neeson followed up a powerful stint as the villainous Henri Ducard (aka Ra’s al Ghul) in 2005’s Batman Begins with a role even darker, grittier and downright hardcore in the action-thriller Taken. There as a former CIA operative, he was equipped with “a special set of skills” that would help him track down and rescue his kidnapped daughter, and kill those responsible. It was a simple but solidly executed film, and held special appeal for any fan of the adrenaline-fuelled antics of 24’s Jack Bauer, though Neeson in Taken portrayed a far quieter and altogether more frighteningly dangerous professional than Kiefer Sutherland’s aggressive, cursing Bauer. Still, the basic selling point was the same; hardcore former government agent takes the law into his own hands and wreaks a trail of havoc in the pursuit of ‘noble’ ends.

I mention Taken here, because Liam Neeson’s new film Unknown (or perhaps Unknown White Male, the title doesn’t seem to have been fully decided upon as yet), directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan) feels like a film very much in the same vein, and perhaps even seeks to draw on Taken’s fan base for its own success.

Watch the trailer for Unknown below the jump.

The trailer for Unknown follows a Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) who upon arriving in Berlin with his wife Elizabeth Harris (January Jones), is involved in a car crash and awakens days later to find his whole life turned upside down. He tracks down his wife only to have her deny she even knows him. Before he can even wrap his mind around this, another man appears claiming to be none other than her husband, and the “real” Dr. Martin Harris (Aidan Quinn). He no longer seems to have any identification to prove who he believes he is. But just as we’re lead to believe Martin might be crazy, the trailer takes a twist and begins to reveal more sinister implications as he discovers he is being watched and soon after begins to be hunted by mysterious assassins. The cold tones of the imagery and the quick, tense pace of the trailer as the action builds seem to evoke the feel of another film of gritty conspiracies and lost identity set in a frosty modern Europe: The Bourne Identity.

If that’s the case then the action packed mystery surrounding Martin Harris could be just as gripping and thrilling a film as both Taken and The Bourne Identity. Besides which, if Neeson is even half as hard-boiled as he was in Taken then we’re going to be in for one hell of a ride.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-liam-neeson-in-unknown/feed/ 3 Trailer Talk: Clint Eastwood’s ‘Hereafter’ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-clint-eastwoods-hereafter/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-clint-eastwoods-hereafter/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:30:04 +0000 Paj Sandhu http://cutprintreview.com/?p=12962 Awards season is drawing close. Trailers are beginning to emerge for some of the biggest name contenders for the coming competitions. Last week we had the Coen Brothers with True Grit. It looks like once again they’ll be squaring off against the legendary Clint Eastwood (Invictus, Gran Torino), as he brings us [...]]]> Awards season is drawing close. Trailers are beginning to emerge for some of the biggest name contenders for the coming competitions. Last week we had the Coen Brothers with True Grit. It looks like once again they’ll be squaring off against the legendary Clint Eastwood (Invictus, Gran Torino), as he brings us his latest in a string of always solid and often masterful pieces of cinema he has helmed as director. The films Eastwood has directed in recent years have often been nominated for both Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards (and the Golden Globes if they count too), and he has won Oscars for both in 2005 for Million Dollar Baby. To put it bluntly, if Eastwood has a film out, there are good-to-decent odds that they’re going to be up for a few nominations and might be strong contenders for winning in a whole range of categories.

Watch the trailer below the jump.

In his second Eastwood film (after Invictus), Hereafter sees Matt Damon play George Lonegan, a working class American who has a psychic ‘gift’ that allows him to connect to those who have died. George was in fact a very successful and somewhat famous professional psychic, who has since abandoned the job, believing his psychic powers to be a curse. Intersecting with his story are those of Marie LeLay played by French actress Cecile De France, a journalist who has a brush of death when she encounters the 2005 tsunami, and Marcus (Frankie/George McLaren), a British boy who lost his brother. Bryce Dallas Howard (Twilight: Eclipse, Terminator: Salvation) also stars as George’s girlfriend Melanie.

With Peter Morgan (The Special Relationship, Frost/Nixon) writing and Eastwood behind the camera, there’s a good chance Hereafter will be a strong film. The trailer has a quiet, austere quality to it, and the focus is less on the notion of psychic powers and contacting the dead than it is about the living characters and the mysteries surrounding their personal stories. Eastwood has made a powerful directorial career out of his vivid character portrayals, and Hereafter looks like he may once again be right on the mark.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-clint-eastwoods-hereafter/feed/ 3 Trailer Talk: Coen Brother’s show their True Grit http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-coen-brothers-show-their-true-grit/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-coen-brothers-show-their-true-grit/#comments Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:39:14 +0000 Paj Sandhu http://cutprintreview.com/?p=12740 Traditional Westerns have been a bit of a mixed bag in recent years, there haven’t been very many in the 2000s, and while some like 3:10 to Yuma, The Assassination of Jesse James and Appaloosa have done fairly respectably both critically and commercially, they have not really captured the kind of excitement and momentum that would put the Western back into big leagues of cinema, despite the involvement [...]]]> Traditional Westerns have been a bit of a mixed bag in recent years, there haven’t been very many in the 2000s, and while some like 3:10 to Yuma, The Assassination of Jesse James and Appaloosa have done fairly respectably both critically and commercially, they have not really captured the kind of excitement and momentum that would put the Western back into big leagues of cinema, despite the involvement of big name actors. The few great “Western” successes of the 2000s have not been traditional westerns at all, but almost unique sub-genre spinoffs like There Will Be Blood or Brokeback Mountain. Or they’ve been contemporary Westerns like the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men.

Well, the Coen Brothers have just made the leap from a modern twist on the Western to something very classically Western. The award-winning film-making brothers Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man) are back with their latest venture, True Grit, a remake of the 1969 Western of the same name starring John Wayne. The story follows a teenage farm girl in the wild west, Mattie Ross (played by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) whose father is murdered by Tom Chaney (played by Josh Brolin). Mattie hires U.S. Marshall Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn (played by Jeff Bridges), a tough son-of-a-gun with “true grit”, to help her hunt down her father’s murderer. Rounding off the luminary cast is Matt Damon, who plays Texas Ranger La Boeuf, who is in pursuit of Chaney for his own reasons.

This first teaser trailer has all the signature elements of a Western; the costumes; the gunfights; the set pieces; the dusty brown colour palette; the silhouettes of ‘cowboys’ riding against the backdrop of wide expansive landscapes. But right from the start the trailer feels uncharacteristically dark and edgy in an almost modern way, as a simple haunting song plays throughout the entirety of the teaser. The first images of Mattie are iconic as they are confronting as she picks up a menacing pistol and dons a wide brim hat somewhat too large for her, as she swears to enact vengeance in the voiceover. The rest of the trailer follows in a similar vein, setting up the revenge story and introducing the highly acclaimed cast and of course the legendary Brothers Coen. The result of this experiment in old-school Western cinema remains to be seen, but with as talented filmmakers as the Coen Brothers behind True Grit, this may just be a powerful Oscar-snagging contender and a thrilling film to boot.

The Australian release for True Grit is 20 January 2011.

UPDATE: Watch the new feature trailer below.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-coen-brothers-show-their-true-grit/feed/ 4 Trailer Talk: ‘Monsters’ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-monsters/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-monsters/#comments Tue, 05 Oct 2010 01:05:41 +0000 Paj Sandhu http://cutprintreview.com/?p=12600 Let me start by saying that one of my biggest cinema cravings is monster movies. Especially GIANT monster movies. Maybe it’s the combination of horror, disaster and spectacle that does it, or it’s just the sheer twisted glee of watching a rampaging twenty-story “Something” stomp a metropolis into oblivion. Sadly, however, too many of them were well before my time and consequently more than a little dated for [...]]]> Let me start by saying that one of my biggest cinema cravings is monster movies. Especially GIANT monster movies. Maybe it’s the combination of horror, disaster and spectacle that does it, or it’s just the sheer twisted glee of watching a rampaging twenty-story “Something” stomp a metropolis into oblivion. Sadly, however, too many of them were well before my time and consequently more than a little dated for modern viewing. Citizen Kane may hold up as a great piece of cinema because it’s a drama rooted in human reality. Godzilla vs. Mothra on the other hand does not, since special effects tend to age rather poorly, it’s kind of hard to suspend disbelief just enough to revel in what good giant monster films should be about – fear and awe.

Happily, things are beginning to change on the lonesome giant monster flick scene, first with the arrival of Matt Reeves’ and J.J. Abrams’ viral-cult-hit Cloverfield, a surprisingly small-budget but big-bang blockbuster. In the wake of Cloverfield, one of the more interesting upcoming “small-big” films is Monsters, and this new trailer has been making the viral rounds and stirring some strong interest – especially among Cloverfield fans.

Watch the trailer below the jump!

Written and directed by British visual effects artist Gareth Edwards in his feature film debut, Monsters is described as an indie road trip movie in which two characters, Samantha (Whitney Able) and Andrew (Scoot McNairy), are thrown into a surreal and frightening science fiction setting where they must make their way through an “infected zone” in northern Mexico. The “infection” however happens to be a spreading alien ecosystem that has sewed disaster and spawned giant monstrous creatures now roaming the ruined landscape.

The trailer is moody and gritty, depicting an almost post-apocalyptic setting of towns and cities laid to waste and abandoned as the main characters are introduced as desperate vagrants trying to make their way back to the United States, but clearly now cut off from the outside world. As they make their way further into the heart of the “infected zone”, we are told that it has been six years since the alien presence first arrived, and that by now “they are no longer aliens, they are residents”. As the trailer slowly builds, we are teased with shots of the monstrous aliens as well as the blockbuster eye candy of military hardware (both active and deceased) in the backdrop.

What makes the Monsters trailer so refreshing, and the film so promising, is its tone and feel –unhurried, surreal, and an intimacy with the characters in a situation so beyond them and out of their control. The result is eerie, and enough to make you feel incredibly small and in awe, which for a monster movie is exactly what you want to be.

- The Australian release date for Monsters is November 25th.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-monsters/feed/ 4 Trailer Talk: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-i/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-i/#comments Mon, 27 Sep 2010 23:32:42 +0000 Paj Sandhu http://cutprintreview.com/?p=12455 Attention Muggles, Death Eaters and Daniel Radcliffe groupies. The boy wizard is back again, this time sporting much more facial hair and a surly attitude, as the latest trailer for the Deathly Hallows has finally surfaced in the last week. The not-quite-final instalment of the hugely popular and moolah-making machine that is the Harry Potter film franchise is almost upon us. Warner Bros. Studios and Director David Yates [...]]]> Attention Muggles, Death Eaters and Daniel Radcliffe groupies. The boy wizard is back again, this time sporting much more facial hair and a surly attitude, as the latest trailer for the Deathly Hallows has finally surfaced in the last week. The not-quite-final instalment of the hugely popular and moolah-making machine that is the Harry Potter film franchise is almost upon us. Warner Bros. Studios and Director David Yates have split the final book of the series into two movie instalments (cha-ching!), ostensibly to deliver the fullest, richest final Harry Potter experience they can – and from the looks of this trailer, they might just deliver yet again. Yates, who helmed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, scored high marks for transitioning the series to a moodier, darker place.

Watch the trailer after the jump.

While the first few teaser trailers broadly covered both instalments of the coming Deathly Hallows films, this new trailer is focused entirely on Part I. The stakes are laid out as Voldemort’s war kicks into overdrive, the Ministry is infiltrated by the Death Eaters, and Harry Potter and his friends are forced on the run. The trailer is fast, tense and explosive – drumming up a dizzying blockbuster feel for what is in all frankness a giant cliff-hanger movie for the real finale of Part II. The earlier trailers were a little too slow and dull, and the risk is that Part I will feel the same.

Fortunately this trailer is exciting and powerfully nostalgic enough to finally get excited for The Deathly Hallows. Elements of the larger story are teased as well, with brief glimpses of the Deathly Hallows Symbol, Dumbledore’s eye in the reflection of a mirror, and the Nazi-esque takeover and makeover of the Ministry of Magic. Fans of the books will quickly recognise the appearance of new characters like Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, played by Bill Nighy, and Xenophilius Lovegood, played by Rhys Ifans. There’s also a blitz of returning characters for good nostalgic measure, which reads like a who’s who of British actors with the likes of Imelda Staunton as Doloris Umbridge, David Thewlis’ Remus Lupin, Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange and Alan Rickman’s iconic Severus Snape. Most prominent of all through the entire trailer is of course the Dark Lord Voldemort himself, played by Ralph Fiennes, highlighting the unavoidable showdown between him and Harry Potter as the words “This Fall Only One Can Live” flares across the screen in the trailer’s climactic moments.

As a Potter-maniac convert myself, this thrilling trailer hit the spot for the most anticipated film of the year’s end. Expect Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I to hit Australian theatres in mid-November 2010.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-i/feed/ 5 Trailer Talk: J.J. Abrams top secret project SUPER 8 http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-j-j-abrams-top-secret-project-super-8/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-j-j-abrams-top-secret-project-super-8/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 06:00:24 +0000 Anders Wotzke http://cutprintreview.com/?p=10510 What is Super 8? A little over a week ago, most people in the film business would have said an old-school film format or a mediocre hotel chain. With the last week, however, it has easily become one of the the most anticipated films of 2011. Perhaps that’s because there aren’t many 2011 films marketing just yet, but it’s mainly because the film’s teaser trailer – first released in front of prints of Iron Man 2 – is positively intriguing. Check it out below:

So what can we tell you about the film? Not much, to tell the truth. The project is still shrouded in mystery.

What we do know is that it’ll be director J. J. Abrams follow up to last year’s successful Star Trek reboot, being released under Steven Spielberg’s studio Paramount Pictures. As the trailer suggests, it’ll be an alien-related film concerning the infamous Area 51, being touted as a homage of sorts to Spielberg’s earlier films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We also know that filming hasn’t begun and isn’t likely to happen until the end of the year. The teaser trailer was independently directed by Abrams as just a taste of things to come and what’s in the trailer could, quite possibly, not at all be used in the final film. Super 8 is set for release  sometime in winter next year (that is, winter for us Southern Hemisphere folk).

Apart from these scarce details, however, and it’s all guess work.

Yet the complete lack of info surrounding the film is exactly why the internet is buzzing with anticipation. Everyone is dying to know the details, just as they were when the cryptic Cloverfield teaser trailer was slipped in with other previews before Transformers in 2007. Unlike Cloverfield — which went for many months without even a name attached, only a date – Abrams, who produced the handycam monster movie, was kind enough this time to give his latest mystery project a title.

So what’s in a name? Well, the title does give us some clues. It seems likely that ‘Super 8’ is a reference to the old film format, which therefore allows us to deduce a period in time when the film is set. The 8mm film format was first released in 1965, while Area 51 started popping up in secret government documents in 1967 (thanks Wikipedia!), so one can assume events will occur sometime after this time and before Super 8 was superseded by video cartridge cameras. Given Abrams history with Cloverfield and its cinéma verite style of filming, it also seems likely that the film will be shot from the perspective of someone wielding a Super 8 camera, capturing the carnage as the alien wreaks havoc on Earth.

Some astute fans have also found the words “scariest thing I ever saw” embedded in the trailer, thus leading them to the site www.scariestthingieversaw.com which features a virtual PD-11 computer that you can interact with. A countdown timer can be accessed through a series of keystrokes, presumably ending around noon on May 15th, 2010 (USA time). What happens then? Who knows.

I’m sure there will be more to report on Super 8 on the 15th and in the coming weeks as the film’s Alternate Reality Game takes flight, but for now, let’s just take joy in not knowing everything for once, eh?

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-j-j-abrams-top-secret-project-super-8/feed/ 38 New INCEPTION theatrical trailer released via viral online videogame http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/new-inception-theatrical-trailer-released-via-viral-online-videogame/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/new-inception-theatrical-trailer-released-via-viral-online-videogame/#comments Sun, 09 May 2010 06:56:13 +0000 Anders Wotzke http://cutprintreview.com/?p=10488 Christopher Nolan’s Inception – the director’s follow up to 2008s blockbuster The Dark Knight — has been building steam, quietly but surely, in the background for almost a year now with a very secretive and intriguing marketing campaign.  With the film now just two months away, the campaign has picked up the pace with new posters and new trailers trickling out every week. Just recently, a third trailer has emerged for the film, finally explaining the plot behind the tag-line “your mind is the scene of the crime”. Simply put, it’s mesmerising. July 16th, care to hurry the hell up?

Here’s the new theatrical trailer:


Perhaps what’s most interesting about this trailer is the method it became available. So for those out of the loop, let’s start from the beginning…

The campaign for Inception began when a mysterious teaser trailer was released in August last year. Aside from a deep and ominous ‘BRRRRRROOOOM’ noise that underpins the soundtrack, something that almost subliminally became synonymous with the film after the release of the trailer was the close up of a strangely menacing spinning top. This spinning top made its way over to Inception’s teaser website where it slowly began decreasing in speed each day. On December 15th last year, it stopped. And things went viral.

mind crime 600x449 New INCEPTION theatrical trailer released via viral online videogame

A screenshot of the game ‘Mind Crime‘.

After it stopped spinning, the website linked to an online mini-game called ‘Mind Crime’, which first required you to draw a line on blank sketch pad from point A to point B. Once drawn, the sketch pad transforms into a top-down cityscape – much like the original Grand Theft Auto – and zooms into the place you marked point A where your controllable character awaits.  The goal of the game is to run through the city and get to point B, avoiding these police-like characters who, once you enter their proximity, try to prevent you from reaching your goal by hitting and tackling you. If you successfully got to point B without being overwhelmed by the bad guys, you get to unlock a safe which at first contained an image of the principal Inception teaser poster. How’s THAT for genius marketing!

mindcrimestage2 600x445 New INCEPTION theatrical trailer released via viral online videogame

‘Mind Crime Stage 2‘ has revealed new
posters and trailers for Inception.

And that was only Stage 1. Coming online on April 3rd, Stage 2 of ‘Mind Crime’ is effectively a sequel of the first game, where instead of providing a basic top-down view of the cityscape, we get a third person view of the character as he runs through the city at street level (i.e. GTA3). The game is far more interactive than stage 1, with leader boards and the ability to use Facebook connect to share mazes and compete against your friends. While running around the city, billboards on the buildings showcase newly released production stills and posters for the film.  Most importantly, however, the game allowed you to hide from the bad guys inside  buildings, a number of which were theaters. Guess what’s playing on the big screen? Yep, the 2nd Inception trailer. As of May 7th, these screens were also used to release the feature trailer, which is embedded above.

There are still 2 potential stages of ‘Mind Crime’ left to be unveiled, if going by the greyed out spaces on the game’s website. Given that campaign already feels as though it’s in full swing — the film’s official site has finally launched, making it easier to find all promotional material — it’s hard to imagine what left they marketing team have to reveal in the coming months; a fourth trailer? Character posters? Perhaps some more faux crew interview videos like this one, a form of marketing known as a Alternate Reality Game (ARG).

Whatever is in store, you can rest assured knowing it’ll be all kinds of awesome.

–

Inception hits theaters across the globe (and in the architecture of your mind) on July 16th.

 

[Sources: Trailer Addict, Youtube, Nolan Fans, Inception Official Website, Mind Crime]

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/new-inception-theatrical-trailer-released-via-viral-online-videogame/feed/ 1 Trailer Talk: Repo Men http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-repo-men/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-repo-men/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:25:49 +0000 Glynn Morgan http://cutprintreview.com/?p=9809 The most interesting element of many science fiction films is the future projection of the human race. These films paint a picture of our moral philosophy and how it could change from the introduction of new technologies. Although many of these projections are extreme, they provide an insight and comparison to current moral thought. They also show the end result of many possible ‘slippery slopes’ discussed today. Following in the footsteps of films like Blade Runner, The Final Cut, I Robot and Minority Report comes Repo Men. No, this isn’t a sequel to Emilio Estevez’ colourful movie of the 80′s – but it is grotesque.
Jude Law and Forrest Whitaker play repo men for a company called ‘The Union’, which as their job title suggests, repossesses property from unlucky customers who are down on their payments. The product? Artificial organ transplants. The repo men have no issue with cutting open their victims for not meeting their dues, not until Remy (Jude Law) has an accident, and wakes up with an artificial organ himself. Now Remy is on the run from the organisation he used to work for, unable to pay for his organ he discovers an underground group of fugitives, who are trying to escape their debts to ‘The Union’.

The film looks to be a mix between Blade Runner and Minority Report, with Remy hunting down debtors like the androids from Blade Runner, with little initial consideration of his morality. While the film looks to use a cold visual style similar to Minority Report and seems to have the “tables-turned” fugitive storyline as well.

What sets the premise of Repo Men apart is the extremity of the violence and how the society accepts it. I watched a short animated film by the same director (Miguel Sapochnik), which acts as a prologue to the movie featured on iTunes. While a rather predictable short story, the film exposes the brutality of the repo men – which could be quite disturbing for some viewers. The quality of the movie will rely on how cleverly the main characters justify their work, with such an extreme storyline it will be crucial for viewers to suspend their disbelief easily.


Repo Men Trailer:

Sources: [Official Website], [Trailer Addict]

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-repo-men/feed/ 2 Trailer Talk – The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-the-prince-of-persia-sands-of-time/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-the-prince-of-persia-sands-of-time/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:41:26 +0000 Glynn Morgan http://cutprintreview.com/?p=9688 As a gamer myself, I have always dreamt of seeing big budget adaptations of my favourite video games. Unfortunately, The Legend of Zelda, Fallout or Shadow of the Colossus haven’t made it to the silver screen. Some fans, however, would dread the production of these titles – for good reason too. The general consensus is that film adaptations of video games are poor and unsatisfactory viewing experiences.

Therefore, most of my life I have avoided these films, partly because of the bad reputation, but also because almost every title released so far seemed like a really poor idea or (in the case of Max Payne and Silent Hill) received generally negative criticism. Although, I do have it on good authority that Super Mario Bros is an excellent piece of cinema: adapting the hit title from the Nintendo Entertainment System. But, I digress.

Now another popular, critically acclaimed, video game franchise is getting the movie treatment, with one small difference: it might actually be good. From Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney comes Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a seemingly loose adaptation of the similarly titled video game. So far, promotion of the film has featured impressive trailers boasting a strong cast and high budget visuals – something that may help it break the stigma associated with video game films.

Having played the game, I was impressed to see Jake Gyllenhaal cast as the protagonist, a highly acrobatic, handsome and fearless prince who becomes the bearer of a mystical dagger, which can turn back time. He suited the character well, while bringing strong talent to a film that could easily have cast B grade actors. Actors Alfred Molina and Sir Ben Kingsley add even more welcome flavour to the proverbial talent pot.

The trailer primarily shows off Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan who sports a characteristic British accent and some attitude. Romantic tension is established with an accompanying female beauty (Gemma Arterton), complete with amusing banter. Chemistry between Arterton and Gyllenhaal remains to be seen, but so far looks promising.

photo 09 hires1 600x386 Trailer Talk The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

In playing the Sands of Time game, key elements of enjoyment came from the game play (primarily fighting, time travel and acrobatics) as well as the visuals. Thankfully the film seems to borrow heavily from these great elements. The trailer shows off familiar costume and weapon design, parkour acrobatics and swordplay involving the manipulation of time.

Other than focusing on a magic dagger which can manipulate time, the story borrows more from The Lord of the Rings, than the Prince of Persia games. The foreboding narration during the trailer immediately sounds familiar as it describes Dastan’s task to deliver this magic dagger (the one ring) to a “guardian temple” (Mount Doom) to hide it from those that will use it to “destroy the world” (Sauron). There is also a set of evil assassins, which act dubiously like Ring Wraiths. Either way, it shouldn’t matter, because the original game’s story was never that engaging anyway.

With Jerry Bruckheimer producing another action adventure for Disney, sites around the web have drawn a similarity between it and Pirates of the Caribbean (e.g. this from IGN). This is a fair comparison, considering the current trailers advertise it from the “producer of Pirates of the Caribbean” and the film seems just as light hearted. If this formula can be maintained, the film is destined for, at least, moderate success.

The potential for a great adventure movie is definitely there. Well choreographed set pieces and humour are the bread and butter of action adventure movies. The film makers have clearly tried to draw upon the game’s strengths and make the movie worthwhile for fans. Whether the plot has too many shortcomings to be ignored is another matter, but that will be discovered upon release. The biggest success of the production, so far, is that a video game has been transformed into a high budget film that is clearly seeking the top box office position – a welcome move for any video game movie.

Sources:
[Trailer Addict]
[Disney]
[IGN]

Latest Trailer:



]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-the-prince-of-persia-sands-of-time/feed/ 1 Trailer Talk: Toy Story 3 http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-toy-story-3/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-toy-story-3/#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:55:29 +0000 Glynn Morgan http://cutprintreview.com/?p=9486 Pixar movies have become quite serious of late. Ever since Finding Nemo was released in 2003, comedy began to take a backseat to drama and stronger themes. I do not deny the increasing popularity and critical acclaim of recent Pixar films, a company who have replaced Walt Disney Animation Studios as the top dog in children’s storytelling.

I genuinely enjoyed Finding Nemo, for its great balance between comedy, beautiful storytelling and morality. However, the fun I had watching Monsters Inc. was ten times that, because it was cracking jokes with the pace of Rodney Dangerfield and still had time for a decent plot. Nemo was beautiful, Monsters was a good time; my point here is that, for me, these two movies mark the end of the Pixar gag film (more or less if you don’t count Cars – does anyone count Cars?) and the definite beginning of the serious Pixar film. Wall-E and UP have shone since then, not only as heartfelt kids’ entertainment but supposedly masterful, emotional, storytelling.

Now there is a new film on the horizon that could potentially bring Pixar back to its roots in Toy Story 3. As I’m sure some of you have noticed, trailers for the sequel have been released depicting the next adventure outside Andy’s room for the toys. Time has progressed as many years as ours in the world of Toy Story 3; Andy is now grown up and leaving for college. Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang find themselves a new home in Sunnyside Day Care Centre, put at the mercy of energetic toddlers. Thus, hilarity ensues.

Of course, a new play room means new toys, including a very 80′s Ken doll, a female triceratops and a purple plush bear, who looks suspiciously like a Care Bear. No doubt Sunnyside is more than it seems, as the toys try to find a way to escape to get Woody back home, Andy’s most cherished toy.

Pixar has targeted this film perfectly, covering a broad demographic of viewers. Firstly, the “family” audience: this is a kids film for parent’s and grandparent’s to treat their children, without sacrificing their own enjoyment due to the sharp humour. Secondly, and most interestingly the “young adults”, those who watched the original films as kids and are coming back for some nostalgia.

Being part of the latter, I can certainly say I was excited after hearing another hilarious quip from John Ratzenberger who plays the sarcastic piggy bank, Ham. Tim Allen returns as ‘commanding officer’ Buzz Lightyear and Tom Hanks as the forward thinking, yet emotionally conflicted Woody. If you have a favourite character, it looks like it will very well appear in Toy Story 3, with Jessie, Slinky, Rex, the Potato Heads and many more featuring in the current trailers.

Providing the film’s plot doesn’t descend into a heavy thematic exploration of lost youth or otherwise, it can safely be said that Toy Story 3 is looking to become another amusing “old school” Pixar adventure.

Watch the trailer below:

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-toy-story-3/feed/ 17 Trailer Talk: ‘Get Him to the Greek’ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-get-him-to-the-greek/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/trailers/trailer-talk-get-him-to-the-greek/#comments Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:07:54 +0000 Glynn Morgan http://cutprintreview.com/?p=9412 As once admitted by Russel Brand on his infamous BBC radio program: the difference between acting and being himself extends only so far as the size of his hair. This isn’t a bad thing for the controversial comedian, who is loved so much by fans for not just his material, but his personality. Now Russel is back, starring again as rock star Aldous Snow in the “sequel” to the comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. However, the trailer shows a distinct lack of the contentious “Sarah Marshall” in the new film, titled Get Him to the Greek, which clearly capitalises on the highlight of the first, with Brand now at the forefront.

The trailer indicates more of what you expect in a movie from Nicholas Stoller, a man who directed Sarah Marshall, while producing Superbad and Knocked Up. This includes awkwardly intimate male contact, cultural misunderstandings, absurd characters, sex and numerous embarrassing situations. It looks as if the dial has been turned right up to accommodate Russel Brand’s own unique form of lunacy, which was limited last time around. The trailer itself features him semi nude, sporting a top hat, sitting in a toy car and claiming to be a motorist – comic genius well within the comedian’s character.

One of the regulars is back in Jonah Hill, who plays assistant (and victim) to Brand’s outrageous character after being assigned to escort the rock star to The Greek theatre in Los Angeles for a comeback performance. Rap artist Sean Combs (or “P. Diddy”) also looks to play a record executive, who needs Aldous Snow to perform so he can make some big profits.

This genre of comedy has gained huge popularity in the eve of last decade. Some people love it some people hate it, in much the same way people love or hate Russell Brand, who I consider to be an excellent new addition. Wether both audiences will merge to become an even bigger fan base remains to be seen. Although I accept the overall popularity of these comedies, Brand is definitely the reason why I will be seeing Get Him to the Greek upon release.

Sources:
http://www.gethimtothegreek.net/
http://www.traileraddict.com/
BBC Radio 2 with Russell Brand (2008)

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