Posts Tagged ‘Film’
Trailer Exam | The Descendants
Some time ago I wrote an article expressing my love for the work of Alexander Payne and showcasing a clip from his newest film, The Descendants. Well, it turns out the clip is actually lifted directly from the trailer that debuted today. If you weren’t already sold based on the talent involved, this trailer should really do the trick. On display is Alexander Payne’s usual wry intelligent humor and his meditation on our place in this world. The film stars George Clooney as a dad who considers himself “the understudy” parent, who is forced to raise his daughters alone after his wife is injured. He then learns a secret kept from him, that changes everything. Simply put, it looks fantastic. Check it out below.
Review/Score Your Week | Animal Kingdom
In this edition of Score Your Week not only will I be featuring music from one of my favorite films of 2010, I will be offering a mini-review in hopes of encouraging as many people as possible to seek it out. The film is David Michôd’s Australian crime drama Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom is the type of film that sneaks up on you. Watching the slow burn thriller unfold before your eyes, keeps the mind going and the heart pounding. Once the final image smash cuts to black and composer Antony Partos‘ score pours out, the greatness becomes apparent. Continue on for a taste of that greatness and why Partos’ music adds to it. Read the rest of this entry »
Your Poster is Cool | Star Wars Trilogy by Olly Moss
Way back in August, I presented you with nine fantastic posters that Olly Moss created for the 2010 Rolling Roadshow Tour. He took the films that were being shown and used there iconic imagery to create posters that you would never be able to find in a multiplex. Well, Moss is at it again. This time with the original Star Wars Trilogy. What Moss does is so simple, yet utterly brilliant, that I was completely blown away. Combining each film’s primary setting and a favorite character, Moss is able to capture the tone for each film. Above you can see Moss’ poster for Star Wars, continue on for The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. Read the rest of this entry »
Trailer Exam | Red Hill
Red Hill is a Australian neo-western with no big names and a notably light marketing push. This is a shame because the trailer for the film is extremely promising. Not in a masterpiece kind of way, but in a well shot, gritty, blood splattering, revenge flick kind of way. The film follows Shane Cooper, a young cop who has to bring down a sadistic killer on his first day of work. The trailer echos No Country For Old Men and The Proposition, but also brings an atmospheric style of it’s own. Red Hill stars Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) and opens on November 5, 2010. Check out the trailer below and continue on for the film’s very epic teaser trailer.
Bury Your Sins | Review of Get Low
Get Low is the story of a man trying to forgive someone. He has kept anger and pain bottled inside him for forty years, waiting for a reason to let it out to the world and forgive the unforgivable. The only problem is the person he has to forgive… is himself. Read the rest of this entry »
Your Poster Is Cool | The Tempest
Touchstone Pictures has recently released the poster for Julie Taymor’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and I find it to be a nice representation of what this film may have to offer. Although it utilizes the tired floating head poster design, it establishes a motif for different characters and offers an artful approach to the design. Taymor famously adapted Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus in the revisionist art film Titus, and I’m hoping she brings a level of the creative ambition that was displayed in that film. The Tempest stars Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Djimon Hounsou, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, Ben Whishaw, David Strathairn, and opens on December 10, 2010. Check the poster out above and continue on to check out the trailers for Taymor’s films, Titus and Across the Universe. Read the rest of this entry »
New Trailer | Black Swan
The trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan has recently hit the net, and I must say this film looks insane. Black Swan is a film I had put in my top 10 for the fall, and this trailer seals the deal. The synopsis for the film is as follows:
Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica (Hershey) who exerts a suffocating control over her. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side – a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.
Check out the trailer below for a ballerina filled nightmare. Black Swan opens December 1, 2010.
Scene Stealer | “Return of the Jedi” The Death of Anakin Skywalker
With the recent Return of the Jedi deleted scene hitting the internet, I found it appropriate to spotlight what I consider to be one of the best scenes from the Star Wars saga; the death of Anakin Skywalker. One of the most emotional and poignant scenes of Return of the Jedi is filled with devastating guilt presented by Sebastian Shaw and watching Mark Hamill say goodbye to a man he is only now beginning to know is hands down sob material. I find a brilliance in the fact that the entire conflict behind the series is dealt with in only two minutes, and with very little dialogue. The simplistic nature allows for great filmmaking to purely take over, such as: John William’s haunting renditions of the “Imperial March”, the eyes of the actors yearning for a different take on their life, and the effectively somber (although some could say cheesy) dialogue. Continue on to see this amazing scene, and the deleted scene I spoke of earlier. Read the rest of this entry »
Score Your Week | The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
At the beginning of the week here at Filmdogs, a member of the pack will be offering a recommendation for a soundtrack to help you speed up those never ending work days and (if possible) inspire you.
Together Warren Ellis and Nick Cave have created three of my favorite film soundtracks in recent memory. The Proposition was my first taste of their brilliant musical collaboration and they most recently scored the devastatingly great film The Road. The score of the week comes from their second collaboration (and my favorite), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Read the rest of this entry »
Trailer Exam | Woody Allen’s You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger
I unabashedly love the work of writer/director/actor Woody Allen. I have seen 35 of his 44 films and though many of his works have problems, I can always find at least one thing to latch onto. As a filmmaker, Woody Allen is constantly challenging me to except characters that are (somewhat) morally reprehensible and look at his familiar story lines and motifs with different eyes. Many film fans could site a handful of his films that they are not a fan of, but I feel that he goes on creative streaks that are only matched by a few. Most recently with Melinda and Melinda, Match Point, Cassandra’s Dream, and Vicky Christina Barcelona. Whatever Works had its moments, but I can honestly say that it was an extremely uneven film. Luckily Mr. Allen puts out a film a year and is back once again with his European comedic romance You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. I have to admit that although I am excited for his new film, I find this trailer a little bit off. It neither has the big laughs of his earlier work, the somberness of films like Match Point and Interiors, the sexiness off Vicky Christina Barcelona, or the greatness of his masterpieces(Manhattan, Annie Hall, Crimes and Misdemeanors). It does however boast a fantastic cast and I will hold judgment until I see the film for myself. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger stars Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Freida Pinto, Lucy Punch, Naomi Watts and opens September 22, 2010. Check out the trailer below.
