One week to go until Watchmen hits theaters and I hear it's tracking really well. We were lucky enough to checkout a press screening of it last week and the movie is a pretty kickass interpretation of the classic graphic novel (Looks like the consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is similar as well...). My favorite part of the film was the use of music to represent the various decades that the film takes place in (the story spans the 1940s-1980s). Not only is the music supervision in the film great, but the TV spots and Trailers have been on-point as well. While you're counting down the days until next Friday, checkout this spot featuring one of my favorite songs of all time, Massive Attack's "Angel":
So 2008 is coming to an end, and it's been an interesting year in film to say the least. While some say the volume of "high quality" movies was lacking, I beg to differ. I actually think it's been a really cool year in that there were quite a number of big budget films that had real substance to them AND we got several smaller pictures like "Man on Wire" and "The Wrestler." This year we've seen the biggest box office in history since Titanic in the way of "The Dark Knight", AND the comebacks of badass actors such as Robert Downey Jr and Mickey Rourke. Since I figure there are a million sites out there that will be sharing their favorite movies of the year, I figure I'd share my favorite TRAILERS of the year in no particular order. Keep in mind that a few of these trailers came out in '08 but the films they represent won't be out until next year.
The unexpectedly cool use of the Smashing Pumpkins song featured in this trailer really sets the tone in a very powerful manner. The graphic novel that Watchmen is based on is not only one of the greatest graphic novels ever written, but many critics consider it to be amongst the top 100 novels of the 20th Century. I'm excited for this one in 2009- Unfortunately Warner Bros and Fox are currently disputing who owns the rights to it, so don't be surprised if the release date gets pushed out!
This particular trailer was kinda interesting for me because I actually managed to catch the film at the AFI fest before the trailer was even released. Regardless, the trailer really captures the essence of the film- The movie and Mickey Rourke's performance BOTH delivered, and it was a truly awesome depiction of a broken man's inner turmoil.
Bond was back in a big way this year following up on the success of 2006's "Casino Royale." "Quantum of Solace," this year's sequel with the uber bizarre name went on to have the biggest Bond opening ever out of all 22 007 films. This trailer defintely helped in achieving this feat, though unlike the first two films mentioned on this list, I have to say I ended up liking the trailer to the movie better than the actual film. Don't get me wrong though, "Quantum" was fun- It just didn't live up to all the grittiness and great dialogue of its predecessor.
Now here's a film I never thought I'd feature in any sort of top picks of the year list. The trailer to JJ Abrams' upcoming Star Trek franchise reboot suceeded in doing exactly what the film is hoping to do- to expose the Star Trek brand to a new and non-geeky crowd. This trailer played at the screening of 007 Quantum of Solace I attended and everyone in the crowd seemed to be stoked by it... defintely excited for this one in '09.
"Defiance" is a film that I've been stoked to checkout ever since I saw the first trailer to it back in February this year. Due to what I'm assuming is an awards season strategy, the film has just recently been released to the public. I managed to catch the film on a screener copy recently and I'm happy to say it totally delivered- If nothing else, the film was totally photographed in an absolutely gorgeous style, and I think that this and "The Dark Knight" are the two top contenders for the '09 Oscar for Cinematography.
"Iron Man" was a movie that really caught me off guard this year- I was truly expecting a cheesy typical superhero movie when I first heard about it, but the trailers just kept getting better and better. I've gotten pretty good at being able to spot a potentially bad film from how the trailer looks and this one actually seemed to be looking better and better as the trailers kept coming out. Long story short, this film now has it's place in big budget comic book movie history thanks mostly to a badass comeback performance by Robert Downey Jr.
The trailer to Changeling kinda wigged me out when I first saw it- The concept/real life story seemed far fetched yet totally intriguing at the same time. The film seemed like it was shot beautifully and the performances looked like they would deliver. Lucky for all of us it delivered on both counts. It was great to see Angelina Jolie in a meaty role that let her get back to her strong acting roots, and as he does every year during awards season, Clint Eastwood delivered another Oscar worthy film.
Wow. What can I possibly say about this one? Just go out and see it if you haven't! If you have even the slightest sense of adventure in your blood, this film is just what you need. Having seen the trailer now before AND after watching this fantastic documentary, I've got to say that the trailer does a great job of highlighting the essence of the film without giving away the best parts of it. This film definitely deserves the best documentary Oscar for '09 (which it is for the most part, yes it did.
The "RockNRolla" trailer caught my eye since it seemed to be a return-to-form for director Guy Ritchie who gave us the totally grimey/funny British crime caper films "Lock Stock" and "Snatch." His most recent films have been pretty awful to say the least and this one looked to make up for them. So, DID "RockNRolla" end up delivering? The good new is for the most part yes it did. The end result was a bit of the typical formulaic Ritchie syle, but as most people would say, "if it ain't broken, why fix it?..." **BONUS TANGENT STORY- My friend Morgan and I sat next to the strangest and most boisterous solo moviegoer ever during our showing of the film and he definetly added a gloroius Cockney soundtrack element to our evening.
Ok so I mentioned earlier that this list was in no particular order, but I do have to admit that these two final entries were amongst my VERY favorite movies of the year. "Tropic Thunder," the high concept war spoof delivered on it's equally high concept trailer. The film featured ANOTHER comeback and standout performance by Robert Downey Jr (as the Dude playing a Dude disguised as another Dude), and an equally hilarious comeback performance by Tom Cruise (both of whom have been nominated for Golden Globes for their performances). I definitely think that Tropic Thunder is destined to be 2008's bizarre Zoolander-like cult sensation of the year.
Honestly, what can you say about this film that hasn't already been said? Look, I know I'm a big Batman nerd, and quite frankly I don't care- this was the most hyped movie I can remember in a LONG time, and unlike most hyped-up movies it delivered on every account. "The Dark Knight" managed to move beyond the tragic legacy of Heath Ledger's passing and really get people talking on many levels. The film is likely to be nominated for several Oscars and take home several as well. Talk about a perfectly executed marketing strategy- The trailers for this project were epic (a word I try never to use) and grandiose in nature.
As we look forward to 2009 take another look all of the trailers here and hope that we have this much to talk to next year as well- here's to another good year of trailers AND more importantly, good films.
DJ KnewJack was nice enough to give the Bedtime for Toys gang and myself a little Serato lesson last night, so unfortunately I totally bailed on "Movie Trailer Mondays." To make up for it, here's a popcorn movie double feature for you. First up is the badass trailer to Terminator: Salvation, starring Christian Bale as the grown up main character, John Connor.
I emphasize that while the trailer got me pumped up, I'm still a little phased by the last Terminator Movie (Rise of the Machines) which was pretty horrendous, and it's yet to be seen if Director McG (of "Charlie's Angels" fame) will be able to deliver. I for one do think this one will be rad in the end- It looks like a proper reboot of the franchise and I like that the trailer has a real gritty feel to it. By the way, Common costars, so maybe his futuristic robotic music video to "Universal Mind Control" was his way of prepping for the role?. Kick back and enjoy:
Next up is the much anticipated trailer to the next X-Men film, "X-Men Orginins: Wolverine", once again starring Hugh Jackman (soon to play host at the 2009 Oscars) as everyone's favorite badass hairy razor sharp clawed Canadian dude, Logan. The film looks to be following the "Batman Begins/Dark Knight" & "Casino Royale/Quantum of Solace" popular formula of returning to a character's roots. The film is directed by Gavin Hood who also directed the brilliant "Tsotsi" which took home the 2006 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. For all the comic book geeks out there, the film features many superhero cameos, including one by Gambit (played by actor Taylor Kitsch), who's basically this crazy Cajun dude that can turn anything he touches into an explosive (including his weapon of choice- playing cards):
So here's the trailer... For the most part it looks pretty awesome- Liev Schreiber (who soon stars in the fantastic looking "Defiance") looks like he does a good job (as always) as Wolverine's nemesis Sabretooth. One little thing though... does anyone else get a plasticy feeling from this?... I was hoping the cinematography would have a real dirty look to it. Decide for yourself, and enjoy:
Dsquared is known for making some bad ass shoes for the fairer sex. These lightning bolt high heels are no exception. Any girl who ever wanted to be a superhero can now live out her dream- These look like they'd be in the closet of The Flash's girlfriend.
Checkout the rest of Dsquared's designs at their official site, but before you get too excited, keep in mind this particular pair is going for 438 Euros at Luisaviaroma where they're available for purchase.
So just a couple days ago we featured a new Watchmen poster and the original teaser trailer from a few months ago. Look like I was a bit preemptive on that post- Warner Brothers has just released 6 new posters to the film by Zack Snyder, and even better, the full theatrical trailer. I'm liking the graphic design on these posters and the bold statements. The trailer definitely gets deeper into the actual story of the film- looks like it's staying pretty true to the novel. Kick back and enjoy:
Warner Brothers just released this new poster to their big alternative comic book movie "Watchmen." Some of you may recall seeing the trailer before "The Dark Knight." Kinda hard to explain the concept of the story, but let's just say it's a ridiculously interesting look at how the real world would mesh with masked heroes. The film is based on the epic graphic novel by famed writer Alan Moore- a piece that's not only considered one of the greatest comics of all time, but one that's been named to several "best NOVELs of the 20th century" lists. Zack Snyder of 300 fame is on directing duty, and the cast is pretty badass- Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Billy Crudup, and Jackie Earle Haley to name a few. Here's the trailer for those of you that haven't seen it yet:
Here's a little somethin somethin inspired by Shepard Fairey's now iconic Obama "Hope" posters... Everyone's favorite clown prince of crime from "The Dark Knight," The Joker starring in "The Audacity of JOKE" by James Lillis. Read the full story over at Wired:
"Push" by director Paul McGuigan has been getting a lot cult buzz ever since clips from the film were screened earlier this year. The film features a cast of characters that have various special abilities that are hunted down by a government group that also possess such abilities. While this may sound like a pretty generic concept thats been seen a million times over in films such as X-Men and The Matrix and tv shoes like Heroes, "Push" manages to do so in a very unique, and moreover, stylish manner.
(special powers or not, Dakota is creepy deepy)
The film stars Chris Evans (the only funny thing in the Fantastic 4 movies), the ever creepy Dakota Fanning, and Djimon "Maximus' Buddy" Hounsou. This trailer starts off a bit generic, but gets really cool as it progresses:
FoundTrack's favorite NY contributor Gill Bumby just sent us this little preview of tonight's Presidential Debate. Enjoy, and feel free to place Obama and McCain into either the Penguin or Batman roles as you see fit... though the real question is whether Biden or Palin is Robin?:
And in related Bat-news, we're sad to report that composer and jazz trumpeter Neal Hefti, the musician behind the "Nana na na na na na BATMAN!" AND "Odd Couple" theme songs has passed away. In remembrance of him, here's the classic tune:
So there's a new trailer out for "The Spirit," and honestly at this point I can't tell if the trailers are getting better or worse. I do like this new one , but now I'm worried that it's just going to be a lazy "Sin City" copy-cat (Though with Frank Miller at the lens, I guess one could expect that). Hopefully an intentionally 'so-bad-it's-good' performance by Samuel Jackson and eye candy costars Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson will be enough to carry this thing. We'll just have to hold out on an opion until The Spirit's Christmas release- until then, here's the newest trailer:
This Swiss dude Yves Rossy gets the bad ass of the week award. Yves is better known as his real life superhero alter ego "Jet Man." A few days ago, Yves jumped out of a plain in France and used his jet pack to fly across the English Channel. He totally reminds me of my favorite character from the 80s cartoon "The Centurions," Ace McCloud the Daring Air Operations Expert:
After 13 minutes of flight at 125 mph,Yves safely parachuted into England:
Hey Kids, here's the trailer to "The Spirit"- it's the next film that's coming out for all of you that enjoyed movies like Sin City and the 300. In fact, it's actually directed by the writer of those two, a legend in the graphic novel world, Frank Miller. This has been floating around the interwebs for a bit, but I finally got to give it a good view, and I'm digging what the guys in the suits have revealed to us thus far. Way better than the teaser at least... then again Eva Mendes, Jaime King, and Scarlett Johansson in one trailer will score you a few points even if said trailer sucks:
By now, pretty much everyone and their mother (even mine, and she usually hates action movies) has seen The Dark Knight. It's hard to argue that Heath Ledger's performance, and unfortunately his passing had something to do with the phenomenal level of awareness surrounding this film. While the film critics are singing their praises, the movie and Heath are also getting props from other types of folks, including artists.
Take for example LA's legendary Graffiti crew, Seventh Letter- You might remember them from their "modification" of the Murakami Billboard a few month's ago. The guys have posted a video of a little work they did to one of the many Dark Knight billboards around town... the footage is pretty sick to watch, and the little shout out to Heath at the end is especially dope:
A few other artists have been influenced by comic book characters, and Batman in particular. Checkout this piece by Anthony Lister (more on his work, at MyArtSpace):
And this piece by Alex Pardee (more on his work, at Juxtapoz) of the Dark Knight being tormented by his demons (ie his rogue's gallery):
"The Dark Knight" comes out in a few hours, and a record number of midnight screenings are sold out throughout the country. While the younger stars of the film including Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, have been getting tons of press, the stories of the more seasoned actors often don't get as much spotlight. Luckily, this has not been the case with "The Dark Knight."
Checkout these great interviews with Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman (who in my opinion put in one of the best yet subtle performances in the film). Caine's Alfred the Butler and Freeman's CEO Lucius Fox characters in different ways act as surrogate fathers to Bale's Bruce Wayne, and Gary Oldman's police lieutenant Gordon serves as a beacon of honesty and light to Batman. These interviews are great, and all 3 gentlemen have some really funny stories from their respective careers to share:
Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman on "The View" Part 1:
Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman on "The View" Part 2:
Gary Oldman on Conan O'Brien (for more late night antics, see what David Letterman thought of the film here):
I just saw "The Dark Knight"... and it was fantastic. That's all I'm going to say for now, until everyone's had a chance to see it (there are plenty of reviews out there if you want to learn more). In the meantime, hold yourself over with this cool and spoiler-free teaser montage:
Awesome... the Joker has used Warner Brothers' viral marketing campaign for "The Dark Knight" to reveal his twisted take on the movie poster. 16 days to go...
This past Saturday, I was lucky enough to checkout the Hellboy II: The Golden Army premiere (the LA Film Fest's closing gala), with FoundTrack friend Jose from the Indie 103.1 Morning Show. The film follows the exploits of comic book character Hellboy (a demon raised by humans that fights to protect us... nothing weird about that), and his band of supporting teammates. I don't like to give away too much when talking about movies, and plot synopses are easy enough to come by, but it's safe to say that the film is a fun ride from start to finish.
Fans of director Guillermo del Toro in particular should enjoy the movie- his visual flair is apparent, namely in the amazing creature design. The Angel of Death character in particular is reminiscent of characters from Del Toro's oscar nominated film "Pan's Labyrinth." Another key thing to mention is the humor in the movie is great albeit very quirky. Though I personally enjoyed the movie, I have to give it an overall rating of good as opposed to great- not sure how it will hold up with the non-comic book fans. That said, it should hold everyone off the target demographic until The Dark Knight comes out in 3 weeks. In the meantime, checkout this awesome poster and trailer to Hellboy II:
(limited edition poster by legendary Movie Poster artist, Drew Struzan)
Universal has just released an awesome final trailer to the movie for those of you that want a little sneak peak:
Fashion Icon Giorgio Armani has enlisted a new face for his high end made-to-measure men's line. Who is this gentleman you ask? None other than Bruce Wayne, everyone's favorite billionaire playboy by day and vigilante by night. Armani was brought in to collaborate with Lindy Hemming (Oscar nominated costume designer of Batman Begins and the Dark Knight) to create all of the Wayne character's outfits for this summer's film.
Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne will be featured in a series of ads in high fashion magazines this summer. I'm totally digging the fly 3 piece suit above, and am stoked to see the rest of the collection of suits and tuxes. That said, I have to say I'd still prefer to get my hands on this little bit of couture:
One week to go until Watchmen hits theaters and I hear it's tracking really well. We were lucky enough to checkout a press screening of it last week and the movie is a pretty kickass interpretation of the classic graphic novel (Looks like the consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is similar as well...). My favorite part of the film was the use of music to represent the various decades that the film takes place in (the story spans the 1940s-1980s). Not only is the music supervision in the film great, but the TV spots and Trailers have been on-point as well. While you're counting down the days until next Friday, checkout this spot featuring one of my favorite songs of all time, Massive Attack's "Angel":
