DREDD 3D Trailer: It’s Got The Look Down, So My Fingers Are Uncrossed…

Posted on June 21, 2012 by geelw

Very nice stuff here, but I still want “I Am The Law” confirmed, no matter what it costs to get that song playing over the end credits. Anyway, I like that the trailer instantly reminded me of some of the comics in terms of the tone and visual style, Dredd keeps his mask ON throughout and it looks as if it will be dark to the core with not much in the way of stupid comic relief. Yes, like a few other folks out there, I was reminded of The Raid: Redemption (what with the plot point about a small force trapped inside a huge building packed with people wanting to kill them), but I’m smart enough to know this is an OLD theme that’s been done many times and goes back to the days of classic movie westerns. Which means you can tell the “aha!” crowd Internet to shut it with the lazy “rip-off” chatter. This one looks good, so let’s see what else they’ve got…

Random Film of the Week: F for Fake

Posted on June 20, 2012 by geelw

OK, I’ll admit I fell asleep the first two times I saw this astounding “documentary” (and final directorial effort) by the late, great Orson Welles… but not because the film was boring. Hell, Welles’ own “trailer” for the film clocks in at over nine minutes… for a film that’s under an hour and a half long. Even more amazing, it’s not even a trailer, but a separate film shot around the same time that ended up not being shown to promote the film before it vanished for a bit and was later found and restored (*whew!*).

Um, where was I again? Oh yeah: On the contrary, dear readers, I’d been really looking forward to seeing this film each time, but in both cases, it was shown very late at night (actually, very early in the morning) and I’d been awake both times for a bit longer than I’d expected. The third time wasn’t the charm, either, as it was on again at a very late hour and I took a nap in front of the TV so I’d be refreshed and ready to go. Of course, guess who slept through the first hour of the film? Did I mention that I don’t have a TiVO or other fancy (or dated) video recording device? *Sigh*…

And so it went until attempt number four…

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The Dark Knight Rises TV Ad #2: And Then, What Happened?

Posted on June 20, 2012 by geelw

Sus-pense! At this point, if this film isn’t as long as Lawrence of Arabia, I’ll be very disappointed. Just kidding, but. that said, director Chris Nolan has pretty much pulled out all the stops here and I’m almost convinced that staying home and hunkering down for the inevitable Blu-Ray box set release with all three of his Batman films might be a better idea than running out and seeing this in a theater. Granted, I’ll more likely than not do both, but I want to see what got left out of the theatrical release, as Hollywood likes getting asses in seats like clockwork, sometimes killing a director’s true vision until the home versions hit retail. As always, we shall see…

The Master Teaser Trailer # 2: More Yet Less Works Fine For Me…

Posted on June 20, 2012 by geelw

I’m loving that P.T. Anderson isn’t giving anything away in these trailers. Setting up scenes that add to the mystery of exactly what the film is about is excellent, as I’m sick of seeing trailers that tell you all you need to know and basically make you not want to waste the cost of a ticket to see them. Yeah, yeah, it’s supposed be about the founding of Scientology or some other cult-like religion with a curious hold on its adherents, but these trailers don’t even hint at this at all. Like Anderson’s other films, I’m betting it’ll go over the head of those expecting a traditional narrative, yet stand up quite well to repeated viewings. Hey, I saw There Will Be Blood something like seven times just to pick through every scene and absorb all it had to say, so this one is looking like another deep diver. Off to find a milkshake… “Draiiiiiinage!”

Dissecting THE THING: Missing Minutiae, Merrily Making Modern Mistakes…

Posted on June 18, 2012 by geelw

While last year’s prequel to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film was well-made and an effectively creepy good time, as a big fan of the original 1951 flick and of course, JC’s fine retelling… I was a tiny bit disappointed. For me, part of great suspense is all in the build up and despite some nice scares, the prequel loses a bit of suspense because it doesn’t build much empathy for its doomed cast (and loses some chances to once the monsters start appearing). Still, I found most the film fine until the entire alien saucer sequence complete with that all-too common “formerly flexible monster who can’t quite reach the heroine!” and “run like hell to escape the big explosion” set pieces we’ve all seen in too many other films. I’ll get to the “leave ’em hanging!” part of the pre-credit ending later, as there’s a great (and I think intentional) workaround there that could actually set up an actual sequel (should someone be crazy enough to make one)…

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The Dark Knight Rises… Just In Time To Take Your Ticket Money Early.

Posted on June 12, 2012 by geelw

Hmmm… there’s over a month to go before its release and they’re selling tickets already? I didn’t know there was a Broadway play version coming (ha ha). Anyway, this pre-selling stuff is obviously in place to give the film a record-breaking box office take for the first day and weekend more than it is to assure everyone who wants to see the film can see it when they want to. Well, I guess as long as you don’t have to wait for those tickets in the mail only to lose them under the stove or go to pick them up at the theater only to get there and forget that you left your receipt stuck to the fridge (with a bat-signal magnet, no less)…

The Dark Knight Manual? “Bruce Wayne” Is Either Really Smart… Or Really Stupid.

Posted on June 9, 2012 by geelw

How the heck else would you describe him after he goes and writes an actual book called THE DARK KNIGHT MANUAL that features everything you always wanted to know about being Batman, but were afraid to ask? After some thought, I think he’s being a wee bit TOO smart here, putting all you need to create your very OWN Batcave, suits, gadgets, vehicles and more between 112 pages (with hardcovers for longevity) adding 35+ removable items and sticking it in stores this month for a mere $40. “What’s the deal?” you ask? Well, dear reader, I’d say Mr. Wayne is getting a wee bit tired of the crime fighting gig and wants a LOT of you out there to get cracking on getting into the masked vigilante business so he can enjoy his yacht, planes and champagne drinking nightlife while you do the dirty work. You, yes, YOU can be a part of the Batman franchise by… owning your OWN batman franchise!

Either that, or he’s putting out FAKE plans just to fool a few of the villains who are out to get him by making them pay just to get their hands on plans that aren’t quite the ones he’s using right NOW. Hmmm… on the other hand, maybe “Bruce Wayne” is just the pen name of some nefarious baddie long forgotten by Chris Nolan, despite doing everything he could to get even the tiniest cameo in the upcoming soon to be blockbuster. My money is on Ali Babble, as he hasn’t been seen in a Batman comic since 1946! That’s a hell of a long time to wait around just to get some revenge! I know I’d have at LEAST Fourteen Peeves if I was left out of the canon for THAT long!

Holy Bookmobile, Batman! Er, Wait… Oh, Just Buy This When You See It.

Posted on June 9, 2012 by geelw

With The Dark Knight Rises about to blast into theaters this summer, here’s a little cool reading material for you to pore over that makes for an instant conversation starter because it’s an actual BOOK, not some bunch of bits you can flick around with a pinky and cry over when some thugs swipe your e-reader or iThing on the subway. You’ll soon find out there’s NO Batman if that happens (just some cop laughing at you), but if you have this BOOK in your home, you can comfortably fantasize away on your comfy couch about wearing the cowl, cape and boots all you like. Well, until one of your friends steals the book from your house. Damn you, Joker!

Anyway, Batmobile: The Complete History is written by Mark Cotta Vaz with a Q & A foreword featuring Paul Levitz (formerly of DC Comics fame) and Nathan Crowley (the production designer on Chris Nolan’s Batman film trilogy). It’s 148 pages thick, costs $39.95, comes out this month and it’s hardcover (so you can whack someone upside the head if they try and “borrow” your tome of power), featuring over 100 illustrations and photos of Batman’s wheels from 1939 onward. You know you want this book, so I won;t stop you at all from buying it. And yeah, you want an actual Batmobile, too. But at least ONE of those isn’t going to happen anytime soon. Besides, reading is good for you. And take that utility belt off before you sit down and poke a hole in those cushions with a Batarang or something.

Prometheus Update: Today’s The Big Day (Unless It Was Yesterday Or Last Week For Some Of You)…

Posted on June 8, 2012 by geelw

So, here are two more bits (one film clip which has a nice but expected “spoiler”, as well as one more viral) to get you into the theater. For those who don’t grasp the point of the viral videos, they’re made to set up a the time period the film takes place in, which is why the “David” viral ad is like a commercial you’d see today for a PC or car. Anyway, reviews have been pretty positive overall and there was even a midnight showing up here at a theater that usually doesn’t do that sort of thing at all. I didn’t go, as I was writing and I want to roll in on a slow weekday so I can sit back and enjoy the ride without too many er, “urban distractions”.

Still, I’m sure even on a lazy weekday there will be trouble. Like the time I went to see Starship Troopers on an otherwise dull Monday and an entire class of about 40 grade school kids and a few teachers and aides rolled in (late, of course) to see the film, only to get up and leave a few minutes later during a nude shower scene. Oops.

Obviously, some otherwise sane and supposedly educated adults forgot to read the film’s rating (and hell, not knowing what you’re in for when you’re going to a Paul Verhoeven flick is kind of dumb)…

Prometheus Clip Mini-Bonanza: The Clock Is Ticking…

Posted on May 30, 2012 by geelw

Yup, the Prometheus trailer and clip free for all continues on the internet. Even after seeing all these clips plus the HBO and Showtime features covering the making of the film, it’s still all a big fat mystery to me as far as what exactly happens in the film. Sure, I’ve got the basic story down pat and as noted previously, there won’t be that same alien from the other films running about and bumping off crew members (a good thing in my book). But when Ridley Scott says he’s “going to scare the $#!t out of you,” I have to take him at his word.

So, yeah… June 8 is rolling up next week and I can see that theater filled with folks expecting one thing and getting something entirely different. But in a really good way. I know I’ll be going home and watching Alien again just to check out the links made in the new film and how well they all fit. One cool thing I’ve liked about the trailers and commercials by the way: they use that weird sound effect from the original Alien trailers to excellent effect…