14 posts tagged “movie trailers”

I finally saw the trailer for the latest Michael Cera movie, and I'm starting to think that I might be sick of the little guy.

I never thought I would speak blasphemy against George-Michael Bluth, but I feel like lately all you need for a Michael Cera movie is:

1. A hoodie

2. A hip soundtrack

3. Witty dialogue that vocally drops off at the end of phrasing

4. The ultimate quest to "get some"

I never read Youth in Revolt, but apparently it's a cult classic from 1993 written by C.D. Payne. While this movie doesn't look bad per se (although, I'm not quite getting the whole Francois Dillinger thing),  I feel like I've already seen this before. I guess I'm just holding out for Arrested Development the movie.  

Speaking of which, I wonder if there's any truth to the rumor that the Arrested Development movie is on hold because Cera is holding out for more money. That just makes me sad. Especially since without George-Michael Bluth, there'd be no Evan (Superbad), Paulie Bleeker (Juno), Nick (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist), or even, Michael Cera (from Paper Heart).   

I finally got to see the film Adam, which features a standout performance by Hugh Dancy. In the romantic comedy, Dancy stars as the title character, a lonely man who lives with Asperger's Syndrome. His life becomes complicated (for the better!) when he meets Beth (played by the lovely Rose Byrne -- LOVE HER!).

You can't even really call this movie a "romantic comedy" because the term has become a generic, almost insulting description, and Adam doesn't deserve it. This movie felt very real and grounded. Going into it, I didn't know much about Asperger's Syndrome, but I feel like this film brought to light the disease with humor and class.

However, while I was watching the film, I realized that Aspberger's Syndrome is the perfect disease to put at the center of a romance. In the film, Adam says that one of the symptoms is that he can't know what others are feeling, including Beth. How many times have men and women in relationships wished that their significant other knew what they themselves were thinking and feeling? It's really an astute observation about men and women from writer and director Max Mayer. It made me think twice about some of the men I know.

Also, I left the theatre feeling similar to when I left (500) Days of Summer.  The film was more than about a romance, and that's when you know you've seen something special. What a great summer for love in independent film.

Five years ago, Jude Law risked overexposure by appearing in six films in one year (Alfie, The Aviator, Closer, I Heart Huckabees, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow). Chris Rock even made a joke at the Academy Awards about Jude Law being in EVERYTHING (which for some reason irked Sean Penn).

Gerard Butler appears to be the new Jude Law. When I went to see District 9 last week, I saw two previews with him in it. To me, he looks like a poor man's Russell Crowe, so I get excited when I see a preview for his movie until I realize it's not Russell Crowe.

Law Abiding Citizen looks like it might be decent. But basically, I just wish the cast consisted of Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington.

Gamer, on the other hand, looks pretty awful. Didn't we already kinda do this in 2007 with Stone Cold Steve Austin in The Condemned? Plus, I think we can officially retire Marilyn Manson's "Sweet Dreams" from ever again being used in a film with a dark theme. It's like playing Aretha Franklin's "Respect" in a chick flick.

I would just like to add that I haven't seen Butler in anything I've enjoyed yet. I didn't even like his performance in The Phantom of the Opera. I'm wondering what the allure is. Is there something about him I just don't get yet? 

There's been talk among Oscar nerds like me that this could be Meryl's year to win her third Oscar, with two performances worth noticing. One, as Julia Child in Julie & Julia (personally, I think she was better in this than in Doubt), and two, as a jilted woman turned "other woman" in Nancy Meyer's It's Complicated out in December.

Remember, it worked for Diane Keaton in Nancy Meyer's Something's Gotta Give, with Keaton scoring an Academy Award nomination. The only thing that concerns me about the film It's Complicated is the title. For some reason it conjures up images of Facebook, with "friends with benefits" relationships and BFF female friendships being defined under the same term.

Adding further to the Facebook ickiness, "It's Complicated" also makes me think of how some of my older relatives are using the online social network now (my uncle left me a message on my wall in all caps that said, "ARE YOU STILL HANGING OUT WITH GAY GUYS?"). The oversaturation of the site (as well as networks like Twitter) makes me wonder whether Nancy Meyers' is on Facebook and was inspired by the site. Furthermore, perhaps Facebook has a significant role in the film. Maybe there's a misunderstanding between Meryl and Alec through conflicting wall posts or status updates.

I read Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones shortly after the book was released in 2002. I remember adoring the first half of the book and hating the end of it. My aunt (who had actually let me borrow the book) told me, "I don't like her idea of Heaven," which I thought was an interesting claim. I think that everyone has an idea of Heaven. My version consists of ten minutes with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

However, Peter Jackson's film adaptation looks incredible, especially his depiction of Sebold's version of Heaven or the "In Between." This is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, and I know exactly where I'll be on December 11. In fact, this movie has me such a flutter that I might actually have to reread the book I came to loathe seven years ago.

When I first saw the trailer for the new film The Goods, I thought, "What's the title? The Goods or Live Hard, Sell Hard." My second thought was, "I think this film was already made with Kurt Russell in 1980."

The only difference now is that they've replaced Russell with a very unlikeable hero. How can you root for a mercury fiend who may or may not still be in a feud with long-time friend Lloyd Dobler (aka John Cusack)?

My brother told me about the trailer for the new movie Brothers and said it's a remake of a German movie from 2004. An unnecessary remake, according to him, who claimed the filmmakers got it right the first time. This American version looks slated for something on Lifetime. I keep expecting this trailer to be a lead-in to Army Wives.

I still just don't buy Tobey Maguire as a lead or an actor. He'll always be creepy Peter Parker to me. It's also hard to believe that Natalie Portman is playing a mother. For some reason, I still see her as the kid slinging a gun around in The Professional. Even with Jake Gyllenhaal, I'm just not excited by this trailer.

With political war dramas rarely doing well at the box office (see Rendition, Lions for Lambs, Stop-Loss), I wonder how this film will be received in December when it's released.

I've recently become a huge fan of Dorothy Parker's work. The wisecracker wrote about topics that no one wanted to talk about in the 1920's (including abortion). She also has some of the best one liners, including classics like, "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses" and my personal favorite "If nobody had ever learned to undress, very few people would be in love."

So far I'm working my way through her short stories and then will venture into her non-fiction and theatre reviews when I start The Portable Dorothy Parker eventually.

However, reading the intro to her stories, I was struck by how interesting her life must have been. She had so much to say at a time when women were just gaining rights and individuality in the United States. I thought, "Why hasn't a movie on her life been made?" I then realized I was an idiot and that there HAD to be a movie on Parker's life out there.

After some googling, I discovered Robert Altman's 1994 film Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, one of my favorite actresses. If I had Netflix, this would go to the top of my queue. Not only does it cover Parker's life story, but it also features a cast to die for, including Matthew Broderick, Andrew McCarthy, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Wallace Shawn. Here's the trailer for the film (and if you really want to be entertained, IMDB's trailer is hilarious with the way it describes each actor by what popular film they appeared in; for example, "Weekend at Bernie's 1 and 2's Andrew McCarthy").

I feel like I'm on a Juno kick lately. First, I totally dug the trailer for Diablo Cody's new horror film. Now, I'm totally into Ellen Page's new comedy called Whip It (directed by Drew Barrymore).

I don't think teenage roller derby has been covered enough in coming-of-age films. With the exception of Kristen Wiig, I'm enjoying everyone in the cast, including Daniel Stern, Juliette Lewis, Drew Barrymore, and Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat (Maybe!!). Although, I think Marcia Gay Harden is officially being typecast as the domineering mother in movies (see Into the Wild, The Mist, Bad News Bears, . . .).

I think the movie looks like it might be fun! But good enough to garner buzz for Drew Barrymore as a director (at one point, they wanted her for the Twilight sequel!)? Only time will tell.

I'm surprised to find myself saying this, but I'm really excited about Diablo Cody's next film. I always thought Juno was just a fluke, but her second film looks like it's slated to be a cult classic in the vein of Heathers and Teeth. Also, I just recently finished Cody's memoir Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper and I really enjoyed it (although the pop culture references, even for me, were wearing thin by the end of the book).

I think this trailer looks pretty classic (and if you're really into it, check out the red band trailer which is even better).