[Trailer] Prisoners
http://youtu.be/Yv7WGFPR7ew
What would you do when your daughters go missing and you feel the cops aren't doing enough to help? In Denis Villeneuve's (Incendies) upcoming new film, Prisoners, the question of self-justice is explored. When Keller Dover's (Hugh Jackman) daughter and her friend go missing during a family party, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is assigned to the case. Once they discover a suspect (Paul Dano), Keller and his neighbor (Terrence Howard), whose daughter also went missing, find some relief. However, when the suspect goes free due to a lack of evidence, Keller takes the law into his own hands... but at what cost?
The trailer, which you can watch below, shares a lot of the story. However, I can only assume there's a lot more that it (hopefully) isn't showing. You can feel the intensity of the thrill, which can't be said for most thriller trailers. Prisoners will be in theaters on September 20th.
[Trailer] This is the End
http://youtu.be/Z51cfNUagn8
It all started off like any normal night in Beverly Hills. James Franco (Springbreakers) throws a party at his mansion full of a bunch of celebrities, including Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), Jay Baruchel (Goon), Jonah Hill (Superbad), Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down), and Craig Robinson (The Office). Shenanigans that only A-listers can make are happening, the least of which is Michael Cera (Arrested Development) slapping Rihanna's ass (could you blame him?). However, what appears to be a typical Californian earthquake turns out to be the beginnings of the end of the world.
Celebrity cameos! Laughs! Action! Emma Watson! Emma Watson! Emma Watson! This is the End hits theaters on June 12th.
[Trailer] Machete Kills
http://youtu.be/0_IjM63FH2o
Update: An English language trailer has been added.
I'm going to keep this short and sweet so everybody can just go straight to what's important...
Machete Kills, the sequel to Robert Rodriguez's 2010 action/exploitation B-movie, Machete, had its first trailer drop. Expect more of the same ridiculous, over-the-top, and insanely entertaining action sequences as found in the original film. The sequel is directly hired by the President to stop a crazy billionaire arms dealer set on wreaking havoc across the country.
My favorite aspect of the sequel? The lovely Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) showcasing boob guns, kind of similar to the Fembots in Austin Powers, but much more badass. The film also features Charlie Sheen returning to his birth name, Carlos Estevez, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Cuba Gooding, Jr, Lady Gaga (really), Antonio Banderas, and Amber Heard.
Machete Kills will slay movie audiences on its theatrical release September 13.
[Trailer] The Act of Killing
http://youtu.be/SD5oMxbMcHM
One of my colleagues screened The Act of Killing at SXSW this past March and tried his best to share the experience with me; of course, no matter how he tried, I just didn't understand what he was trying to share with me. This is not due to his inability to explain the documentary, but rather, the documentary itself is not the type of doc we've ever seen. The Act of Killing, focused on the Indonesian massacre during the late '60s, took an experimental direction in its explanation of the near-genocide. The filmmakers not only interviewed some of the surviving murderers, deemed heroes by their country; they made them re-enact their memories of killing and stylized each re-enactment in a Hollywood-style short.
What results is this meshing of fictionalized acts of violence fueled by true memories of murder, death, and killing. In the process, the filmmakers analyze the psychology of the killers in hopes of understanding their psychology and guilt decades after they committed such heinous acts. The Act of Killing, just based on this trailer below, shifts the documentary form into a haunting examination of real-life killers. With the help of both Werner Herzog (Into the Abyss) and Errol Morris (Tabloid) signing on as executive producers after screening the documentary, The Act of Killing will have a limited theatrical release on July 19th.
[Trailer] Maniac
http://youtu.be/CiULAdLufJs
Maniac screened at last year's Chicago International Film Festival, and I've been kicking myself since October for missing it. Starring Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings), the Franck Khalfoun-directed film is shot mostly in first-person, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the horror film. While most horror films are typically shot and narratively-focused on the victims, Maniac's first-person twist seems like the kind of twist needed for a genre that's been over-saturated lately with zombies and serial killers. Don't get me wrong, though; Maniac is still about a serial killer, but coming from his literal perspective is exactly what attracted me to the film despite my general disinterest in the genre.
Luckily, the film found distribution through IFC Midnight and will find a limited theatrical release on June 21st. It almost took a year, but I'll finally be able to eradicate my mistake of not seeing it last year. You can catch the trailer and the film's first US poster below or on the film's iTunes page.
[via /Film]
[Trailer] We're the Millers
http://youtu.be/lLIimU9NYyg
The majority of comedy films tend to follow plot formulas involving a mild-mannered character stumbling across a problem that goes through a series of outlandish challenges to take care of the problem while discovering something new or life-changing about himself along the way. Broken down like that, it seems kind of plain, doesn't it? What writers and directors have been doing is elevating the absurdity surrounding these characters and their obstacles. Sometimes, it works out; most of the time, it doesn't.
We're the Millers, based on the first trailer below, seems like it could go either way. Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball), the film is about a drug dealer named David (Jason Sudeikis) who's in huge debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms). In order to pay it off, Brad sends David on a job to smuggle weed into the country from Mexico. However, to successfully do so, he needs to create a fake family to not raise suspicion from the border agents... the problem is that he doesn't have a family. Instead, he hires a stripper (Jennifer Aniston), a runaway (Emma Roberts), and one of his potential customers (Will Poulter) to pose as his family. And, as always, hilarity ensues.
The trailer gives good exposition on the film and shares the comedic tone of the film, which seems to be going for over-the-top hilarity involving dick jokes and Jennifer Aniston as a stripper. Wonderful. We're the Millers is scheduled to release in theaters August 9th.
[Trailer] Iceman 3D
http://youtu.be/tiTjxT3GBWM
A friend of mine turned to Twitter recently to share his praise about Dragon. With nothing to do, I decided to watch the film per his suggestion. Unbeknownst to me, the film starred Donnie Yen, most known for his roles in Ip Man and Ip Man 2, two films fictionalizing the life of Wing Chun grandmaster (and Bruce Lee's mentor), Yip Man. Since Ip Man was released in 2008, Yen has found himself becoming Hong Kong's "it" man, and with good reason.
The upcoming Iceman 3D, a remake of 2008's The Iceman Cometh takes cues from Captain America's origin as the film is about two warriors from Ming Dynasty-era China finding themselves awaked in modern day Hong Kong after being frozen centuries ago. It'll be interesting to see how the film juxtaposes martial arts with modern police tactics as hinted in this trailer. I predict a lot of weapon disarming and the use of guns as blunt weapons. There's also a rumored seven minute fight sequence, which should prove to be awesome.
Unfortunately, the film is slated to be released in Spring 2014. Iceman 3D has had a few script and budget problems, but a trailer release is a good sign that production is on the right track. If you get the chance, I highly recommend streaming Ip Man, Ip Man 2, and/or Dragon on Netflix sometime this week so you can familiarize yourself with Yen's particular form of badassitude.
[Trailer] Don Jon
http://youtu.be/6615kYTpOSU
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of my favorite actors. Anybody that's seen the immaculate Brick knows that Gordon-Levitt's acting range and ability has grown since his days on Third Rock from the Sun. Outside of the acting sphere, he's also a purveyor of arts with his hitRECord initiative which helps writers, illustrators, photographers, and artists of all media to collaborate with one another to create something amazing. With Don Jon, Gordon-Levitt is adding a few extra feathers into his cap.
Don Jon is Gordon-Levitt's written and directorial feature-length film debut. Jon Martello (Gordon-Levitt) is your typical Jersey boy obsessed only with his car, his apartment, his body, his family, girls... and porn. Even after he meets the girl of his dreams (Scarlett Johansson), he just can't kick his porn addiction. I saw the film at SXSW and included it as one of my top films of the festival; it goes beyond typical romantic comedy film conventions. I won't spoil the film, but JGL fans should know that the typical flair he brings to his performances definitely carries into his directing and writing talents.
Don Jon hits theaters on October 18th.