Cool News
Trailer Man is back with his preview of previews of coming attractions
Hey folks, Harry here with another filled to the brim report by Trailer Man. The man with an impossibly short attention span. Unable to watch feature length films. Trailer Man is lurking around out there... And, he's got all the coolness of trailers to back him up.
TRAILER MAN back (ok, ok. calmer, silliness mostly in check) with some advance looks and then a look at a couple of
trailers of films scooped this week before even the previews could hit the screen. Gotta work fast on AICN.
LOST SOULS (New Line) Lightly touched on by McMurphy, but worth looking at how paranormal, occult films are being
marketed lately. Trailer opens, ominous music and set up of what becomes apparent an exorcism for a "ruthless serial
killer"...(hate that... are their nice, considerate serial killers?) John Malkovich is killer in glimpses, and John Hurt a priest. Then
the trailer becomes one continued series of quick cuts each ending in a camera warping split or wipe that becomes so annoying
rather than the urgency I presume trailer is trying to convey. But through the visual mayhem it does become clear that the killer
has willed his soul which is to be Satan himself into the unsuspecting body of Ben Chaplin (looking very prep lawyer like) but
fortunately an intrepid Winona Ryder is here to solve and save mankind from the pending evil evidently manifesting at the turn of
the Millennium. (Now of course this is redundant since Arnold is on the case in END OF DAYS) Trailer heavily showcases
arresting long shots of cathedrals, foggy backlit hallways, tilting camera angles, extreme closeups, of priests while pacing
steadily increases to climactic collage of desperate shots of not really much. Disappointing since its all blustery visuals, possibly
this being the directorial debut of Janusz Kaminski, (yes, an extraordinary cinematographer whose work for Spielberg's
SCHINDLER'S LIST and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN are as integral as John Williams' scoring) may be the cornerstone of
otherwise middle brow material. I cannot recall a cinematographer successfully making the leap to directing recently save for
Barry Sonnenfeld (ignoring Wild Wild West ) or more so, Caleb Deschanel. So this could be smoke and mirrors at its best.
To that end, is pounding pacing and quick cuts ALWAYS necessary? STIR OF ECHOES, THE HAUNTING,...if anything
can be learned from the efficient 30 second trailer of BLAIR WITCH and the very effective 6th SENSE, its possible to give
audiences a taste of dread and suspense without applying trailer cutting styles reserved for action/adventure pictures. "I see
dead people" whispered in agony by the kid in 6th Sense....proof at the boxoffice.... confounding all research.
SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS (Universal) Not unlike the approach of ANGELA'S ASHES, trailer sets a tone of
sumptuous, literate, IMPORTANT CINEMA, with reverential voice over of a "love and emotion that knows no limits". Cars
establish a 40's period and Ethan Hawke is showcased sharing a relation with an Asian American (could not absorb her name
but striking none the less) and then cuts to them as children which does take some paying attention. Flash back, then forward,
back again, all the while caressing, soft focus shots of the both exploring their bodies, defying authority, . Then a semblance of
a story line, she whose destiny in marriage is to another in her society, he obsessed by her and so wanting. Then some sort of
legal issues (Japanese relocation? for a while not so sure) alluding to her husband falsely accused of something and Hawke
eager to help. That's it. Okay points for not revealing too much at all, establishing stunning place in time, an impressive
supporting cast, Sam Shepard, Max Von Sydow, James Cromwell but then again its angst angst angst. The trailer is clearly
aimed at women and those fond of the novel. It is what it is and one of those movies that always open at the end of the year for
Academy and Best of Year consideration...nevertheless a bit ham fisted for my taste. As with ASHES, CEDARS trailer lacks
electricity leaving both at the mercy of reviews and fans of the books.
DOG PARK (New Line) Okay I did not review last time and instead made fun of what the title headings of its reviews could
be. Bruce McCollough from Kids In The Hall directs and co-stars with the impossible fox Natasha Henstridge and Luke
Wilson doing his best David Schwimmer shtick of singles meeting while running their dogs at a park. Love and dating served
up in all its awkward and funny scenario but nothing new to this genre. Janeane Garofalo in the same role she always plays is
winning but only because she has the only two amusing moments. Any edge and irreverence from Kids is not evident here.
PLUNKET AND MACLEAN and BLACK CAT, WHITE CAT- Specialized films (scooped with so so reviews on Tues.)
that really try to raise above that stigma of being specialized or art fare. P&M is vying I'm to understand for a semi-wide
release. Trailer cannot hide it being a period piece (guessing late1700's) so it does with some degree of success deliver a hip
anarchy complete with modern score. Risky because it could fall through the cracks trying for a youth who wouldn't be caught
dead in a Robin Hood like story of Highway Men and losing the tweed and deck shoe crowd who resent the juxtoposition of
style. Big E for effort though. CAT is a non-stop rip of gags, groin kicking, raucus, absurdity intercut with reviews confirming
what your seeing..... Calendar booking in revival houses by end of year and thats being positive.
BANDITS (Stratosphere) OK the last and this is a specialized entry for the Fall as well. But this one grabs you just in it sheer
audacity and freshness. In short bursts, the storyline is clearly conveyed. Get this, what seems to start out as a throwback to
50's "women in prison" dramas then reveals an intrepid group of inmates starting a band then becoming a sensation. Lose you
here probably... but the trailer felt like La Femme Nikita in all its fantasy and exhilirating story. And while music and voice over
reveal a story of estrogen fueled pride and defiance you do see subtitles,,,does not try and fool anyone that this is a foreign
language film. And that successfully then becomes a non-issue since what is prsented is kickass. I hear the movie is even pretty
good.
DINOSAURS (Walt Disney Pictures) DOWNLOAD IMMEDIATELY,,,,, even if it takes all night! Speaks volumes....
-
+ Expand All
-
Am I first ? I'd like to know how it feels like !
-
It sure seems like I'm the first one ! GREAT !
Well, I'd like to say that I'm looking forward to seeing all these movies. I suppose there will be great ones among them and others will be duds, but hey that's showbizz... -
Dinosaur looks great, visually stunning. You must download it.
The landscape is beautiful.
-
Yeah baby! I downloaded the Dinosaur trailer this morning and I gotta say I'm impressed. I don't really know much about this movie - is it 100% CGI or are things like landscapes real? The waves and stuff sure looked too real to be CGI... Since it's out sometime next year, are the CGI FX finished or have we been treated to some of the unfinished stuff, a la Episode 1 trailer 'A'? Answers please!
-
During the first half of the trailer, I was almost swept away by how perfect it all was. Great orchestral music and sweeping animation started making me drool. Then, that overblown crotch-grabbing pseudo-rock started blaring and everything went to hell in a real hurry. I know that Disney is probably trying to appeal to the kids (or something) by using "hip" music, but it really did suck arse, and now I've pretty much lost interest. Oh well, they still have time to cut some more class ones before next year. Here's hoping they do. http://www.almostcool.org
-
Has anyone else seen the trailer for the latest screen version of this "beloved classic"? It looks like one sugar-coated pile of dreck, let me tell you. If the movie is any good (doubtful), the trailer isn't doing it any favors.
-
If it's not a remake (and I don't think so) then it's a pretty stupid and some years old german movie. imho not worth the money.
-
Or are most of these trailers of movies we don't really care about and if they are we have already heard descriptions of them (Lost Souls) or got the link before (Dinosaurs). Just a pretty lame report by Trailerman. I hope it was just a slow week in trailer news. BTW, the Dinsoaurs preview had me drooling at the mouth, what is it about though? The whole last half of the trailer seems to be dinosaurs dodging explosions. Is it about the supposed meteor crash?
-
A while back I saw a strange trailer for something called Ghost Dog. Anyone hear of it? It looks like a Forrest Whitaker/Wu Tang/Gangster flick. Do any of you know if its supposed to be worth seeing?
-
Mean Ween you lucky bastard. Ghost Dog aka Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai is the latest from the inimmitable Jim Jarmusch maker of such classics as Stranger Than Paradise and Down By Law. And yeah, you reminded me, RZA of Wu Tang did the score which should be interesting. Is it worth seeing, well it's worth saying that anything by Jarmusch is worth seeing more than once and it played at Cannes where it got some good word of mouth and Ebert praised it in one of his columns about the festival. There's a section about it on the Cannes official site with script excerpts and a couple of photos: http://www.festival-cannes.fr/cannes99/va/allfilms/incompetition/films/frame201.html
Personally -- I'm counting the days till this one opens! -
It's also worth noting, since Trailer Man didn't , that BLACK CAT, WHITE CAT was made by Emir Kustarica(sp?) who's garnered enough praise from his film UNDERGROUND to last three filmmakers a lifetime. "CAT is a non-stop rip of gags, groin kicking, raucus, absurdity intercut with reviews confirming what your seeing....." Sound good to me.
-
In response to a previous comment, the Dino movie is mostly live-action backgrounds and CG characters. Like Jurrasic Park, say.
-
Hey, new to the talkbacks here. I was just wondering if anyone knows where I could catch the Being John Malkovich trailer? Is it playing in front of a movie in theaters or on video, or is it available on the internet for download somewhere? Also, is the script available anywhere online? Thanx-Brian
-
DISAPPOINTING!!!!!!! Obvious CG animation over live action plate, with most not meshing very well. Not bad, however, but not very good or breathtaking. Why any said this is a breathrough is beyond me. Oh, and on the trailer side, why the hell is Disney thinking? Rock music at the climax of the trailer? Jeez, if you want to sell this movie, then sell it for what it is - even if it's suppose to be a teaser! Ok, enough ranting. Next.
-
I could not agree with you more on your take of the trailers you just mentioned......I reviewed them two and three weeks ago except SUPERSTAR did not work for me but then you gotta be a fan of hers. Yes a slower week but CEDARS an important film and LOST SOULS was more a sounding board for style. New trailers next week one I am in hopes I see today a near finished full preview that will have fans of a certain British spy saying still "not enough". To see the BEING JOHN MALKOVICH trailer which I thought great, more than likely
you'll be taking chances going this weekend but have a hunch will be on all prints of Albert Brook's THE MUSE nextweek. -
By "Japanese relocation", could he be referring to the atrocious internment during World War II? Yes, I think he could.
-Bully -
This movie is so incredible looking. They even have another nine months to fine tune. I do not know a single kid who did not go through a dino phase. If every male who like dinos in america sees this then the will blow away lion king. I would not be surprised if this movie does five hundred mil. It even looks like it'll be pg-13 which would rock the camels hump. Oh man i've seent he trailer a dozen times and am damn near exploding.
-
I think that the egg which fell out of his mouth is religous in someway, and that all the explosions and shit is some religious god punishing them. Then the trailer seems to focus on a family of four legs. They might be some how "chosen" a la NOAH, to go to the promised land. And along the way they battle dinos, fall off cliffs, etc. etc. Kinda like LAND BEFORE TIME without dopes like Petry. I be the movie has a lot of adult themes like leaving a family member behind to save the group and other cool stuff.
-
Just wondering.. happen to have caught it. Has shots of Milla in a field of sunflowers with a stick, slashing and parrying with invisible invaders then her stick turns into a sword and the final shot of a sunflower cut in half.
-
Well, I havent sen the BANDITS-trailer running in the US, but I have seen the film. And believe me, yo
-
You're trying to "guess" what the plot of this movie is? Look, it has been revealed many months ago. Go to the Cinescape (@www.cinescape.com) website and read the review (by Darth Maul's Upper Half)yourself. But if you can't find it, then here is some of the comments (go away if you don't want to know what it is or what the movie is about): "...The Story - Blatantly unoriginal. They steal from everybody: themselves (Disney's Bambi and The Lion King for the most part), Don Bluth (the film screamed Land Before Time from beginning to end), and of course the two Jurassic Park films. It begins exactly as reported on AICN so long ago, and this is probably the very best sequence of the film so far. Aladar's unhatched egg is transported by various species, sometimes quite Moses-like, until it ends up in the hands of some lemurs [the monkeys in the trailer]. Now, this in itself is ridiculous, since only small, shrew-like land mammals coexisted with dinosaurs, but that didn't seem to detract from the audience's enjoyment of the film. Another huge error that younger kids will more likely spot is the inclusion of the 'ankylosaur' in the cast. This guy looks like a mini battle tank, with a clublike tail. Recently, it was discovered that the skeleton that was the basis for the species was actually comprised of several different species and was otherwise assembled incorrectly, making this creature nonexistent. If kids are ever as nutty about dinos as I was, they'll notice this...Although it would definitely have alienated many viewers, I think there should have been a more realistic focus on the actual extinction that took place during period the film is supposedly set in. Yes, mass extinctions do not take place over the course of a few days, but what if they had shown the whole thing? I think it would have been much more moving for the lemur family to have been friends with the dino for a while and then had them die off, leaving the mammals alone. Sure, that would have been a downer, from a certain point of view. But whenever I thought about this film in the past, I always assumed that the story would somehow revolve around the mammals taking over. But the film presents a much different picture. It has a happy ending, and seems to be a much different, much more preachy film than Disney has made in the past. In this one, it's very much in your face that teamwork, reliance on each other, bravery, family togetherness, and free will are the themes. "We still have each other" is a line that I whispered a couple seconds before Aladar did in one scene. Not exactly the Disney we all know and love lately, is it? This was definitely a film geared toward the family as a whole, with lots more adult stuff than usual, while balancing it with the lighter kids' fare. However, the dinosaurs all by themselves should be more than enough to attract the younger crowd. Natural selection is hinted at (survival of the fittest is mentioned several times) but is always rejected by Aladar, much to the dismay of Kron, his fellow iguanadon...."
-
than what's with all the shots in the trailer of dinosaurs running from explosions. Jeez, for the second half of the trailer, it looks like Die Hard set in prehistoric times.
-
Let us all not forget that David Fincher and Jan De Bont were cinematographers before directors.
-
does anyone remember when lion king came out. i first saw a really uninspiring short commercial thing in front of a disney video.'he must find his place as king with the help of some funny pig and meercat duo' that kinda thing. i was soughta intrigued, it was disney animation and i was 10. my sister (who hates cartoons and thinks it is immature)thoght it looked pathetic. a month later, i went to the cinema. as the trailer began this beautiful yellow sun started to rise onto this red sky. it got everyones attention as the african music started, including mine. a good song was playingbehind the beautiful images of elephants and leapords etc. the trailer was the entire beginning of the movie up until the finish singing circle of life. it was beautiful. it was just beautiful gorgeous animation of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and exotic animals all heading to the one place. i didnt get introduced to any characters or see a clip from every bit of the movie but instead was left to wonder about all of the potential this movie could have. my sister came out very impressed by it. this is like the first tarzan trailer in a way. u dont even see terk or the red elephant. it is pretty much beautiful scenery, tarzan swingin' in it and him discovering jane. in australia we have only been shown the 2nd trailer. it goes through clips of every part of the story and has a section in the middle dedicated to the comedic side of the movie. it is a sucky average trailer. the first trailer has shock value and if both were shown here they could cover almost all of the audiences out there. sorry for blabberring on so much -baff
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Delayed Nine Months...Thanks To A Force More Sinister Than Cobra!! -- 193 total posts 192 posts
- Who Is The Voice Of Batman In WB's Animated Two Part THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS? -- 142 total posts 142 posts
- Cats Beware!! An ALF Movie May Soon Come Our Way... -- 137 total posts 136 posts
- THE DARK KNIGHT RISES TV Spot Has New Footage And Dialogue! UPDATED To Add Second Spot! -- 111 total posts 111 posts
- UPDATED!!! A Six-Pack Of New Character Posters For THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Forecast A Lot Of Gotham Rain And Snow!! -- 268 total posts 93 posts
- Baz's THE GREAT GATSBY explodes with one helluva dazzling trailer! -- 184 total posts 81 posts
- AICN COMICS REVIEWS: INCREDIBLE HULK! DANGER CLUB! CLiNT 2.1! JAMES BOND! BATMAN INC.! AND MORE!!! -- 64 total posts 64 posts
- Zach Galifianakis Is Ignatius J. Reilly? -- 84 total posts 63 posts
- Gary Oldman Joins The ROBOCOP Remake! -- 60 total posts 60 posts
- The Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day… the horror… the horror… -- 47 total posts 47 posts