5 posts tagged “movie”
Movie trailer round-up!
The new Bourne movie comes out this weekend - the BOURNE ULTIMATUM. It has an 85 rating on Metacritic and a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes! I gotta see this movie, y'all. The trailer is here.
I'm so excited that Wes Anderson is finally coming out with a new movie. I have never disliked one of his movies, and I still rank the Royal Tenenbaums as one of my all-time favorites. One of my favorite things about his films is the way that, if frozen, every shot looks like a photograph (a good one). The trailer was recently released, and The Darjeeling Limited looks fantastic.
I consider this an example of a well-made trailer for a movie that most likely won't be nearly as good. The Invasion, with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig (and I'm fully willing to cop to being wrong if the movie ends up being good!)
I can't imagine this is actually going to be that good, but you know how I love Jane Austen. I also have a spot in my heart for Anne Hathaway, who I think is gorgeous, and seems smart and level-headed.
Seriously, Christian Bale is so hot. Sooooo hot. 3:10 to Yuma and Rescue Dawn. I am probably seeing neither of these movies, but once the Batman trailer comes out, I am so on that.
A couple others that look good:
Rocket Science
The Ten
Death at a Funeral (which looks maybe a little dorky but also, so hilarious) - also has a great rating on Rotten Tomatoes
I am also pee-my-pants excited for Superbad. I know I've already talked it up, but really. I'm COUNTING the DAYS (14!!).
I am notoriously picky about films. I rarely see them in theatres, because I'm a pretty critical person and I don't like wasting time on poor films; I also get confused as to why other people like movies that are completely worthless, and it upsets me to think of the public paying millions of dollars for piles of crap, propagating more of the same.
However, I love movie trailers. I vastly prefer trailers to films; and if the trailer is really good enough it can even warrant multiple viewings; I'm still watching the Paprika trailer in my regular lineup. To me, trailers often cut down films into the most essential and/or enjoyable parts, and you get to skip all that other crap. Of course, for good movies, the movie trailer will seek to highlight some elements of a complex/beautiful/hilarious/touching/poetic/dark/etc. film, but that rarely happens. Trailers also seek to make you ask questions, and capture your interest. I often want those questions answered! My interest is often captured! And thus, my love of trailers.
Some movies - big budget action films, for example, can often appear at their best in trailer format. Other skillfully made trailers can make me cry - just with a minute and a half promo! Of course, that just might be me. But films I'd never, ever see (even though they may be perfectly good, or whatever) like that recent soccer movie, Goal! might elicit some welling in the eyes or a smile with a well-cut trailer. Of course, when I saw the trailer for Goal!, I may have been drunk or hormonal or both, but you know what I mean.
Another great thing about trailers is that trailer repository sites, like my personal favorite Apple - Movie Trailers, can show you movies you probably didn't even know where coming out, and get you excited for the whole thing. Ratatouille (the new Pixar film), is a recent example - I've been watching its trailer since the teaser debuted some months ago.
So, I will probably share some trailers from time-to-time on my blog. I think I've already posted the Paprika trailer; here are some others you might find entertaining.
Totally horrifying, and makes you glad that you don't have any daughters: Bratz, the live action movie! And I thought those incredibly deformed dolls in the prosty-get-ups were bad.
Paris, Je T'aime, because Jen saw it!
Harry Potter, because it has been a constant on my trailer rotation lately (I'm so excited, but with low expectations)
And Superbad, because you know how much I <3 Michael Cera. You might even be able to find their unrated trailer version somewhere on the interweb, but from the looks of the website it might have been taken down.
Also, there have been a plethora of office-related films lately. I blame The Office, of course. This one and this one!
Severance (horror/comedy) - The Boss of it All (Lars von Trier, doing comedy - sounds unfunny) - and Chalk (supposed to be improv mockumentary but reviews have not been good)
There's quite a lack of pretty or tear-jerking type trailers (I love those to an unreasonable degree, maybe because I cannot quite bring myself to see those movies for fear that I'll really, really love them), but definitely next time.
So guess how excited I am for the first of four (FOUR!!) new Futurama movies- Bender's Big Score, slated for straight-to-dvd release in December 2007 and also will be shown in episodic form on Comedy Central?
I forgot that it was coming out until recently, and I went hunting for some info. For something being released this year, there isn't much - the movie is in post-production but you'd think there'd be some stills, at least. Or a movie poster. However, there's some positive words to be found at this article here; and Matt Groening talks about it on this interview here, and this one here.
Reasons to be extra-excited (not like it's necessary):
- Al Gore
- Morbo
- the Nibblonions
- ZAPP BRANNIGAN ("Well, if it's a lesson in love, watch out. I suffer from a very sexy learning disability. What do I call it, Kif?" "Sexlexia")
- Fry and Leela tear-jerking
- Dr. Zoidberg!
- Guaranteed hilarity from writers Ken Keeler and David "X" Cohen, Matt Groening, and the actors
In other news, Sunshine looks amazing. I have not been displeased with anything Danny Boyle has done that I've seen and is a movie (he has lots of TV credits, few of which I recognize) - namely, all the movies that aren't Shallow Grave or Alien Love Triangle. So - Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, the Beach, Millions. Oh, and A Life Less Ordinary, which I don't know if I've seen or not. Probably not. Rotten Tomatoes has some impressive stills and you can see the trailer here. The description reads:
Also, I'm a little excited for The Golden Compass movie. I know it doesn't look great, but the books (by Philip Pullman - one L) are excellent. Particularly the first one - I felt the second two got a little muddled. So, I'm not holding my breath, but I haven't given up yet. Casey says he expects it will be terrible, and compares it to the Chronicles of Narnia, which I have not seen but don't want to (doesn't look great). Most of my knowledge comes from that song*****. And yes, that's a wikipedia article about that song.Fifty years from now, the sun is dying, and mankind is dying with it. Our last hope: a spaceship and a crew of eight men and women. They carry a device which will breathe new life into the star. But deep into their voyage, out of radio contact with Earth, their mission is starting to unravel. There is an accident, a fatal mistake, and a distress beacon from a spaceship that disappeared seven years earlier. Soon the crew is fighting not only for their lives, but their sanity. --© Fox Searchlight Pictures
Finally, I'm going to try my damndest to see Knocked Up this weekend. 92% on Rotten Tomatoes with almost 40 reviews! I also suspect the negative reviews are from puritanical bubbleheads who only like films with no boobies or cursing! Also, Paul Rudd! Seth Rogen! That guy from the 40 Year Old Virgin who "just wants to take (the shoes) home so I can wear them!" And - the 40 Year Old Virgin (BME!*)
*Best Movie Ever!**
**Not literally, but definitely up there
***Could I have used more links in this post?****
****No.
*****Also:
(and did you know that when you search for Lazy Sunday on YouTube, it comes up with literally 1,630 results and most of them are people doing their own versions? I say to those people: People, really? Really?)
******Sorry for calling you people weirdos
One FINAL final thing (I promise): SNL Digital Shorts have provided some of the most hilarious things I've laughed at, ever. If you've missed them, you MUST see:
- Natalie Portman rap
- Roy Rules
- Sloths (they sleep 18 hours and party 24)
- Oh yeah, and Dick in a Box
There are more, and I'll bet they are hilarious, too, but I only have so much time to blog. At work.
Hurrah for 3 day weekends! I was able to watch two (2) recently-released movies at home. Thanks, Netflix!
I would recommend to pretty much anyone over the age of 16 to see Half Nelson. The acting, particularly by one Mr. Ryan Gosling is phenomenal and the story feels real and gritty and honest, and despite all of his fuck-ups, I really liked (and rooted for) Gosling's character, Dan Dunne. Dunne struggles with and is overwhelmed by a cocaine addiction, teaches at an inner-city junior high school, and befriends one of his 13-year old students who finds out about his drug addiction. It's beautiful, really well written, acted, and directed, and as an added bonus, the soundtrack features songs by
Broken Social Scene, one of the best bands ever! and the movie uses some of their best songs. One of which is the slow version of Lover's Spit (which can't be found on the movie's soundtrack, I checked) but I'll post it here when I get home (if I remember), because it's lovely. Their album You Forgot it in People is one of my all-time favorites, and includes the amazing songs KC Accidental, Cause = Time, Anthems for a 17-Year Old Girl as well as Lover's Spit.
Also, I watched Notes on a Scandal, and I had the same problem with the movie that I had with the book. That is, all the characters are pretty much detestable. No one is likable, you just take your pick of what trait you dislike the most - weak, conniving, and/or completely immoral. Judi Dench is practically unrecognizable in this film - and looks so old! and so unlike Dame Dench! - and Cate Blanchett is appropriately beautiful and delicate. It's a really well done adaptation of the book, though I felt they tried making Cate Blanchett's character more likable and Judi Dench's character is immediately horrible right off the bat, whereas in the book she doesn't really reveal her true nature for a little while. I don't know that I could ever sit through that movie again, but it was finely done. One more gripe, though - Phillip Glass does the soundtrack, and while I loved what he did with The Hours, here it's a bit heavy-handed and overemphasizes the already crazed emotions of all the characters.
If I was ever president, I would declare that three-day weekends are the norm and cut the work week down to 36 hours. People would work 4, 9 hour shifts instead of 5, 8 hour shifts. Why? Because three-day weekends PWN. Sorry to have to pull out the 1337 5P43K, but you know, that's how awesome they are. So, you might ask, Kristin, what did you do during your glorious three-day weekend?
PAPRIKA. On Friday, I dragged Casey to the Neptune to catch the SIFF's showing of the new Satoshi Kon animated feature, Paprika. It was, in two words, ridiculously good. The animation is beautiful and the trippy, philosophically-inclined storyline is totally entrancing. The music is great, too. It is a lot to take in in a very crowded theater while reading subtitles, so I look forward to watching it again once it comes out on DVD. Definitely a must-see.
Photos. I finally got my lazy butt over to my computer, where Mallory proceeded to battering-ram my feet with her head the WHOLE TIME to show me how unhappy she was that I was in her space. Luckily, she's very small (rabbit sized) so she didn't do any real damage. I uploaded maybe a quarter of my trip photos onto Flickr. That bitch is slow! And I just made myself giggle by referring to flickr as "bitch." Here's one photo to give you a taste of the glory to come - this is Kyoto as seen from the hill o' monkeys. I don't actually know the name of the monkey place in Kyoto - I will do some google searching before I post any more photos (I literally have over 75 photos of just monkeys) but it had an amazing view. Please don't ask me what river is in the photo, because I don't know, and if I had asked Luke, he probably would have said the same thing.
