Sunday, September 21, 2008

Trailer Expo: REVOLUTIONARY ROAD and SYNEDOCHE NEW YORK and GOOD DICK and EQUATION OF LOVE AND DEATH

Yes, I really enjoyed TITANIC and praise James Cameron for making such an incredible film and for casting two youngsters that would soon become huge movie stars. Well, though they are both huge movie stars, the two couldn't be making films that have been more opposite from each other's. Winslet has done films like LITTLE CHILDREN, ETERNAL SUNSHINE, FINDING NEVERLAND and QUILLS. Then we have DiCaprio who has done THE AVIATOR, THE DEPARTED, THE BEACH, GANGS OF NEW YORK, BLOOD DIAMOND and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. But now, after over a decade, both actors are starring together again in a film that might have Oscar nomination written all throughout it. I do think it does look great though and I'll be sure to catch it alongside FROST/NIXON and DOUBT this December.


Released earlier this week was the trailer for Charlie "Screenwriter Extraordinaire" Kaufman's directorial debut film, SYNEDOCHE NEW YORK. Much like his other films, ADAPTATION, ETERNAL SUNSHINE, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, this film seems right on par with being completely out there. What can we expect from this one when we finally see it? We can expect to expect to watch it a second time, I'm sure.

Seriously, don't let the trailer turn you away, this looks great. GOOD DICK stars the writer/director Marianna Palka and tells of a strange romance between a porn-addicted young woman and a clerk at the film rental shop she frequents. Not only does this push the envelop, it looks witty and smart at the same time and you can begin to feel the psychological angle of the film towards the end of the film. Looks really interesting and fun and hit select theaters October 10th.

This year, a lot of great foreign films played at the Toronto International Film Festival and among them was a Chinese film, EQUATION OF LOVE AND DEATH. Mostly anticipating this one because it looks like a coaster ride we seem to only get from neo-noirs and certain crime dramas which this film just so happens to be, the latter I mean. Sorry to our non-Chinese speakers out there but tell me just from the trailer that this doesn't look like a thrill ride, and a dramatic one at that?

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Tina Fey: next in line if Sarah Silverman is still unavailable


Politics, we don't get into it much here on GREEN HOUSE FILM REVIEWS, but this video is probably the closest we're going to get. I have plenty of my own views to un-sponge but this just isn't the place for that; Starbucks is. Enjoy.

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Saturday, September 20, 2008

Does Will Ferrell blow boat people? The answer below

See more Will Ferrell videos at Funny or Die
Come on, I've always liked Will Ferrell and his comedy, it's just that I want him to have some color on his little pallet. No, I don't mean he needs to do a comedy about Native Americans, I would just like to see him do more subtle comedy like STRANGER THAN FICTION and WINTER PASSING or even some straight forward dramas. But the above video is a good one, is it not? Here's hoping he does a cop drama soon with John Tuturro, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Alice Eve, Francis McDormand and Rebecca Hall.

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

7 minutes of: THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (2008)


Well, whatdyathink? I'm a big fan of the original and believe Robert Wise to be one of the greatest American directors. And now, I am just as much looking forward to this "re-invention.". What better time to remake DAY THE EARTH than now? Many of those original concepts of paranoia and conspiracy I believe will transfer well for audiences to grasp. December 12th is THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, along with TWILIGHT.

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Terry Gilliam's DR. PARNASSUS already look stunning, and they're no where near completion


It's said that when you walk into a Terry Gilliam film, you know what to expect. Well, I expected greatness when I watched THE BROTHERS GRIMM, and what I got was...
But then you have to remind yourself that this is Terry "TIME BANDITS" Gilliam and he's been working on a little flick since last year titled THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS. Starring the late Heath Ledger, whose role is then continued by Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. This film seems epic, much like how many Gilliam's usually seem in concept. Just by my impressions of the artwork and previsualizations, it feels like METROPOLIS or CALIGARI. Still a year until its release. I'll keep you posted, as always.

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Sunday, September 14, 2008

LIFELESS: When zombies attack...during prime-time


With the success shows like LOST, I'm surprised networks haven't picked up shows like LIFELESS already. You saw the trailer above, basically the show is based around the survival of a group of people who have lived through some sort of plague, infection, who knows, that has turned much of the city (state? country? world?) into zombies. I think a show like this has definite potential and I'd like to see it on Sci-Fi if not FOX or ABC. What do you guys think? Zombie TV show?

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Friday, September 12, 2008

The Tale of Two Trailers: DOUBT and CHANGELING

Here again, both of these trailers have very little in common other than both will be present as Oscar nominees, I'm sure. The first stars the still beautiful Meryl Streep as the head of a christian school. Amy Adams, who I swear could have been alive and made a hell of a career back in the 50's as well, also stars as a young sister at the school who is caught in some accusatory blame game between Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman over an alleged molestation of a young black boy. The trailer is strange in that whoever edited it did a poor job and although they include the plot, maybe a little less yelling and a little more mystery would have been better.


The second is CHANGELING by the one and only Clint Eastwood. No it isn't a remake of the awesome 1980's George C. Scott film though I almost wish it was. CHANGELING tells the story of a mother (Angelina Jolie) who's son goes missing. But when local authorities find and return the missing child to the mother, she is convinced that the child is obviously not hers. I'm always glad to see Angie taking these roles to remind to the world that yes, she does also act remember, not just look smokin' hot. Both films open right around Christmas before year's end.

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Thursday, September 11, 2008

THE SOLOIST trailer kills the ache and creates a new one


A couple of years back we had Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler play an unlikely duo in a film I enjoyed called REIGN OVER ME. Although it didn't have the duo dynamic going for it, PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS had a good heart to it. And this year, I believe FLASH OF GENIUS will also be of the same nature but this has something going for it that not even Greg Kinnear's charm can champion: Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. Screw the Year of the Rat, we are all witness to this being the Year of the RBJ. I think that if someone was to tell Robert 10 years ago while he was on ALLY MCBEAL, that in a decade his career would take a 52 week steroid boost during which he would play a flying-suit wearing superhero and a black man back to back, I think he would've just hit the heroin harder. But look at the man now. To tell you the truth, the first big movie I ever saw him in was U.S. MARSHALS in which he play a corrupt FBI agent. After that, I would always see him as that limey fed. But then it wasn't until 2003 that I started seeing him in films that I actually liked him in. I went back and saw CHAPLIN in which he plays, you guessed it, Charlie Chaplin. Great film. Then afterward, NATURAL BORN KILLERS. It wasn't until 2005 and 2006 that I started seeing him in some memorable films. KISS KISS BANG BANG, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS, A SCANNER DARKLY. Then, the underrated masterpiece that is ZODIAC really got me pumped to see what he would tackle next. Sure enough, 2008 rolled around and he was the talk of the town. This year has seen some great performances already but it's only September and we know that the Oscar attractions don't start making it to the theaters until October or so.
You saw the trailer above and yes, it does look to be gunning for Best Male Lead and Supporting Performance of the year. Still, there are several greats coming out before the year's end and the competition will be rigid. There's Oliver Stone's W, Clint Eastwood's CHANGELING, Baz Luhrman's AUSTRALIA, Van Sant's MILK, David Fincher's CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, Bryan Singer's VALKYRIE, and Ron Howard's FROST/NIXON. Oof, this is definitely going to make for a great year-end after all. THE SOLOIST opens wide November 21st.
BTW, I just had to post this video of Darth Vader below. Just had to.

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

New QUANTUM OF SOLACE trailer is almost as cool as racecar beds were, and that's pretty darn cool


Damn, I saw it, and it blew my knickers off. Remember the new photos from last week, well those weren't even butter on the 10-stack of pancakes that is this new trailer for QUANTUM OF SOLACE. As much as a love CASINO ROYALE and the grittiness of it, I just hope they don't try to push that envelope too far. What do you think?

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