Seth Rogen Trips on Drugs in Red Band Trailer for The Night Before
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Finally, a Christmas film that isn't a Christmas film! The Night Before stars Seth Rogen (The Interview), Anthony Mackie (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) as Isaac, Chris, and Ethan, three long-long best friends celebrating what might be their last Christmas together. The shenanigans begin to unfold after Ethan gets the trio into a huge Christmas party and Isaac is given shrooms and coke as a present by his wife (Workaholics' Jillian Bell).
The trailer starts off on a high note as the trio play Kanye West's "Runaway" on a large toy piano, reminiscent of Tom Hanks's 1988 film Big, then runs through a litany of jokes, such as Ethan telling Isaac's unborn child that Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothing to fuck with at a family dinner, Isaac tripping on the drugs in a limo and weirding out Chris, and a cameo by Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project) and Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex) praising Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball."
The Night Before reunites the trio of Rogen, Gordon-Levitt, and writer/director Jonathan Levine, who all worked together in 2011's 50/50. The film should also give fans a chance to Mackie's comedic side following his more recent Marvel film appearances. The Night Before will be coming to theaters on November 25th.
[via Rolling Stone]
Trailer for Victoria Teases Entire Film Shot in One Take
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The "trend" of long takes has been growing in recent years thanks to films like Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men and Gravity and, most recently, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). In fact, both Gravity and Birdman were huge hits at the past two Oscars, with each film winning a plethora of awards, including Best Cinematography and Best Director (amongst many others). However, while each film showcased clever editing and long takes, they don't quite push it as far as the upcoming German film, Victoria.
Directed by Sebastian Schipper, Victoria is an action/thriller about a the titular Victoria, a party girl from Madrid visiting Berlin, who gets wrapped up in a crime with a group of men she just met. More importantly, the entire film was shot in one take. No edits, no cuts, no CGI, just a camera rolling non-stop for two and a half hours. The concept is amazing, but so hard to accomplish, especially for an independent film. The trailer, obviously, is cut and edited to set the stage for the film.
The film debuted earlier this year and won a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and Best Feature Film, Direction, Actress in a Leading Role, Cinematography, and Music at the German Film Awards 2015, which is a great sign for the film.
Victoria will be in theaters on October 9th.
Victoria, a young woman from Madrid, meets four local Berliners outside a nightclub. Sonne and his friends promise to show her a good time and the real side of the city. But these lads have gotten themselves into hot water: they owe someone a dangerous favor that requires repaying that evening. As Victoria’s flirtation with Sonne deepens into something more, he convinces her to come along for the ride. And later, when things become more ominous and possibly lethally dangerous for Sonne, she insists on coming along. As the night takes on an ever more menacing character, what started out as a good time, quickly spirals out of control. As dawn approaches, Victoria and Sonne address the inevitable: it’s all or nothing and they abandon themselves to a heart-stopping race into the depths of hell.
Pixar Turns Back Time with The Good Dinosaur Trailer
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What would have happened if dinosaurs never went extinct? That's the question Pixar wants to answer with their upcoming film, The Good Dinosaur. Of course, like all things Pixar, the film has a fun side to go along with more serious themes, which are on display in this first trailer.
Directed by Peter Sohn (who originally co-directed the film with Bob Peterson before the latter was removed from production due to story problems back in August 2013), The Good Dinosaur is about a young apatosaurus that befriends a caveboy after being separated from the rest of his family. Together, they traverse the wilderness and its various threats.
The film is Sohn's directorial debut, and would have been Peterson's directorial follow-up to Up; don't worry, Peterson is still with Pixar and is currently working on another unnamed film. The Good Dinosaur was originally scheduled for a May 2014 release, but was delayed due to the aforementioned story problems, causing Pixar to lay off 60+ employees. The film's new direction also caused many re-writes and re-casting, with actors like Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Hader, and Judy Greer removed and/or replaced.
The Good Dinosaur will be crashing into theaters on November 25th.
LeBron James Signs Deal with Warner Bros., Sparks Space Jam 2 Rumors
Space Jam may be a flawed film, but it's strengthened by the nostalgia of people in their mid-to-late 20s, an amazing soundtrack, and came directly in the middle of the Chicago Bulls' '90s dynasty. Of course, the Looney Tunes were at an all-time high in popularity, and who didn't love Michael Jordan back then (outside of Detroit)?
Nobody since has been able to capture Jordan's popularity, but many have come close. One such basketball player, LeBron James, may be the closest to Jordan that we've had since he arrived in the NBA. However, he also has faced a ton of criticism, something that Jordan didn't experience at the same level. Nevertheless, if there were to ever be a Space Jam sequel, LeBron James would be the de facto star... for better or worse.
Yesterday, word came out that Warner Bros. inked a deal with LeBron James for the basketball star to appear in various WB projects spanning film, TV, and online digital content. Warner Bros. released a statement with the announcement that reads:
“LeBron James has one of the most powerful, well-known brands in the world and we are excited to be in business with him and his partner, Maverick Carter, and SpringHill Entertainment,” Warner Bros. CEO and Chairman Kevin Tsujihara said. “The combination of LeBron’s global media presence and Warner Bros.’ unmatched production and distribution expertise is a big win for fans everywhere.”
Last month, it was reported that Warner Bros. filed a new trademark on Space Jam, re-sparking rumors from 2014 that also had LBJ attached to star in the sequel. There's nothing concrete, but the new deal could pave the way for LBJ to lace up against the Monstars. Would you be interested in seeing King James team up with Bugs, Daffy, and the other Looney Tunes?
[via /Film]
New SPECTRE Trailer Reboots The James Bond Iconography
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With the end of Skyfall having left Daniel Craig's rebooted James Bond at effectively the same point in his timeline where his predecessors started, the latest trailer for SPECTRE, set for release in the UK on October 26th and the rest of the world on November 7th, sets up much of the series' most famous iconography for a spectacular return.
Most notable for fans will be the remix of John Barry's On Her Majesty's Secret Service theme, a piece of music somehow even Bondier than the main Bond theme and an important signal for the direction we can expect the SPECTRE plot to take. On Her Majesty, of course, was the movie which saw Bond get married before his bride was cruelly murdered by supervillain, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. That this trailer showcases not only the OHMSS theme but also plenty of snowy mountain action and heavy hints at Blofeld's return - check out Christoph Waltz rocking that Nehru jacket - suggests now would be a very good time to revisit George Lazenby's only outing in the series... not least to reappraise the Australian actor's hugely underrated performance.
The trailer contains plenty of other nods to the series' heritage. The SPECTRE meeting recalls Thunderball. Bond on a train brings back memories of From Russia With Love, while his white dinner jacket - let's hope he's in slightly warmer climes than the mountainous region glimpsed earlier to avoid a satorial faux-pas - marks the return of a classic Bond look. The sitting back in a white-shirt-with-holster combo is pure Dr. No and also referenced in Tomorrow Never Dies. Monica Bellucci gets a similar unzipping - if lacking a certain magnetism - to Miss Caruso in Live & Let Die, while the return of Mr. White directly connects the movie to two of Daniel Craig's previous Bond adventures, Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace.
Of course, as Star Trek Into Darkness so ineptly proved, a reboot cannot thrive simply by rearranging its history. The trailer shows off some cool new stuff as well, not least a jaw-dropping barrel roll from a helicopter (just in time for Starfox Zero!), some gorgeous cinematography, Ralph Fiennes' M getting his first opportunity to be grumpy in an office, and an endearingly hammy villain line from Waltz ("I am the author of all your pain"). Less encouraging is Bond going rogue yet again, his unforgivable collar pin (Tom Ford, sigh), snippets of clichéd dialogue ("Right now, I'm your best chance of staying alive.") and a few scenes which feel a little too close to similar moments from Craig's three previous movies. Making such a direct connection to OHMSS also threatens to hugely raise the stakes for Léa Seydoux's Madeleine Swann if she's to go head to head with Diana Rigg's Teresa Di Vicenzo, aka Bond's missus and the series' most fully rounded female lead.
Regardless, it's a new Bond film and therefore excitement was mandatory even before that exquisite OHMSS theme kicked in. Having read a fairly recent draft of the script, there's one major narrative problem which needs to be sorted out, but if it can overcome that, the result could be a fitting successor to the hugely enjoyable Skyfall. I wasn't mad about the Casino Royale script when that leaked either, so there's a positive precedent here at least. Anyone looking to bone up on their Bond lore ahead of time might want to check out all the movies listed above - hell, just watch all of them - plus the OHMSS novel and Octopussy short story.
Trailer for Alejandro G. Inarritu's The Revenant is Astounding
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What happens when you combine perennial fan-favorite Leonardo DiCaprio, Mad Max: Fury Road's Tom Hardy (who is a fan-favorite himself), and Academy Award-winning Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))? Hopefully, one of this year's best films, if this first teaser trailer is any indication of the final film.
The Revenant is inspired by the true events of Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), a frontiersman during the 19th Century that was left for dead by his hunting team following a bear attack. However, he still perseveres through the struggles... even after a betrayal by his close friend and confidant, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy).
The trio of DiCaprio, Hardy, and Inarritu is enough to elevate the hype for The Revenant. It looks amazing, the aesthetic Inarritu established with Birdman is sound and in tact, and DiCaprio and Hardy of two of Hollywood's best actors. The wait for The Revenant will be a long one, as it receives a limited release on Christmas with a wider release on January 8, 2016.
John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein to Write Spider-Man Reboot
The Spider-Man reboot finally has screenwriters, and they're a formidable duo. Following the announcement of Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Jon Watts as the director comes news that the writing duo of John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein will be handling script duties. The two have written Horrible Bosses, Horrible Bosses 2, and are making their directorial debut with this summer's Vacation.
Back when the purported shortlist of directors for Spider-Man was released, Daley and Goldstein were present. In fact, the duo was my personal favorite to direct the film. To have them involved in the project is a great sign for the film. As anyone who has seen Horrible Bosses and/or Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 can attest, Daley and Goldstein have a great handle on modern comedy and pop culture.
With everybody in place, we can expect to hear a plethora of rumors pertaining to the plot in the months to come. And you know what? I can't wait.
[via Deadline]
[Weekly Netflix Fix] Mid-July 2015 Update
Sorry for missing last week's Weekly Netflix Fix - I was afflicted with a mild case of strep throat, and being sick in the middle of the summer is the worst thing to ever happen to man. This week, we have an extra-sized installment combining all of the latest Netflix Instant additions from the past two weeks. Spike Lee's most recent film, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, has been added, the indie darling Faults starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), and Mark Duplass' Creep are my personal recommendations. Take a look at all of the new Netflix Instant additions below!
Changeling
Plague
10 Questions for the Dalai Lama
An Act of War
Carita de Angel
The Comedian
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
El Chavo Animado: Season 1
El Chavo Animado: Season 2
El Chavo Animado: Season 3
El Chavo Animado: Season 4
El Internado: Season 1
El Internado: Season 2
El Internado: Season 3
El Internado: Season 4
El Internado: Season 5
El Internado: Season 6
El Internado: Season 7
Eugene Mirman: Vegan on His Way to the Complain Store
H2O: Mermaid Adventures: Season 2
Penguins of Madagascar: The Movie
The Physician
Rebelde
Todd Barry: The Crowd Work Tour
Vandal
XH Derbez
A Year in Champagne
America's Book of Secrets: Season 3
An Amish Murder
Bad Ink: Season 1
The Bible Rules: Season 1
Bible Secrets Revealed: Season 1
Carnal Innocence
Christie's Revenge
Creep
From the Dark
God, Guns & Automobiles: Season 1
Goodbye to All That 2014
Human Planet
Human Planet: Behind the Lens
Imaginary Friend
The Killer Speaks: Season 2
Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau
MonsterQuest: Season 1
MonsterQuest: Season 4
Pastor Brown
Preachers' Daughters: Season 2
Storage Wars: Texas: Season 1
The Unwanted
WWII From Space
Corvette Nation: Season 1
Corvette Nation: Season 2
Hard Drive
Adventures of Pepper and Paula
Opposite Field
These Final Hours
Chris Tucker Live
The Expendables 3
Violetta: Season 1
Violetta: Season 2
Are We Done Yet?
Deep in the Darkness
The Last Unicorn
Monsters: Dark Continent
The Phoenix Project
Serena
Baby Boom
Knights of Sidonia: Season 2
Faults
Hell on Wheels: Season 4
White Collar: Season 6
Superfast!
Bitten: Season 2
Underwater Dreams
Alien Outpost
Dark Summer
Gerontophilia
A Gesar Bard's Tale
Loitering with Intent
Monster High: Scaris, City of Frights
The Pact 2
The Search for General Tso
Wild Canaries
Witches of East End: Season 2
Genocide
Hjørdis
I Have Never Forgotten You
The Long Way Home
The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers
Winston Churchill: Walking with Destiny
Are We Done Yet?
Deep in the Darkness
The Last Unicorn
Monsters: Dark Continent
Serena