The Wrestler's spiritual sequel Big Fan gets a trailer!

source: traileraddict.com

One of my favourite films of 2008 was Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, and I’m sure I’m not alone in my adoration of that film’s melancholic tribute to male machismo. Therefore, I know you’ll all be excited for the trailer to The Wrestler’s spiritual sequel Big Fan.

Written and directed by Wrestler-scribe Robert D. Siegel and starring Patton Oswalt (brilliant comedian and voice of Remy from Ratatouille), Big Fan played at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and was featured as one of our 10 Indie Films to Catch in 2009.

Siegel trades the depressing world of professional wrestling for the even more depressing world of obsessive NFL fandom. Oswalt stars as heavy-duty New York Giants fan/go-nowhere loser Paul Aufiero, whose life changes after a violent run-in with his favourite player.

Check out the trailer and let us know your thoughts! Not sure if the film will descend into the thriller-esque territory that the trailer implies. I sure hope not.



Big Fan didn’t receive the same kind of raves at Sundance that The Wrestler picked up at the Venice Film Festival in ’08 (where it won the top prize and essentially certified Mickey Rourke’s Best Actor Oscar nomination). However, much of the criticism of the film seems to be aimed at Siegel’s visually-flat direction. What can we say? Aronofsky is a tough act to follow.

With that in mind, it’s still hard not to get excited for Siegel’s follow up project. According to an interview Siegel had with Jeff Goldsmith for Creative Screenwriting Magazine (a podcast you should all be listening to regularly), Big Fan was the screenplay that was generating buzz in Hollywood that led to the writer being enlisted by Aronofsky to pen a film about wrestling.

Big Fan also stars the great character actor Kevin Corrigan and hits U.S. cinemas late August. There is no Australian release date as of yet.

Discuss: Will we see a sports movie that isn't cripplingly depressing ever again?

Damon! Soderbergh! Exclamation marks!!! The Informant trailer debut!

source: traileraddict.com

The trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s latest flick The Informant! has debuted online, and as a tribute to the film’s energetic title punctuation, please enjoy this energetically punctuated article about the film!

The Informant! stars Matt Damon as real-life whistleblower and ADM-exec Marc Whitacre who joined forces with the FBI to unveil a price-fixing scandal that he was involved in!

The trailer is pretty funky, and is clearly directed at the Ocean's Eleven crowd as opposed to the Bubble crowd! Check it out and let us know what you think!!!



Soderbergh began production on The Informant! in May of 2008! If this were any other director, it would be perfectly reasonable to expect about 9-15 months for a film to hit cinemas after filming! However, Soderbergh normally knocks together a film in about 3 days on a budget of $17.50, so The Informant! seems like quite an exception!

The Informant! hits Australian cinemas October 22nd, 2009. Of course, there is always the chance that Soderbergh will have another film ready before this date arrives!

And just a reminder! His previous film, The Girlfriend Experience, will receive a limited theatrical run in August. Che, his two-part Che Guevara biopic (which was filmed back in 2007) is still awaiting cinema or DVD release in Oz! BOOOO!!!!

Discuss: Is Soderbergh the flat-out ballsiest big-name director working in Hollywood today? Is he an underrated genius defying any genre? Or is he a pretentious film-snob who was lucky enough to finagle a friendship out of George Clooney?

Jennifer's Body red band trailer YAY!!!

The world has gone Megan Fox crazy (or is that just me?) and we've been hearing lots of "stuff" about Jennifer's Body, pics of Megan half naked, and all the other hype about Diablo Cody's next film etc. Well, we finally have a trailer and there's been no messing around. They've gone straight for a red-band trailer, complete with plenty of blood and gore, and naughty words.

Be warned, NSFW unless you're wearing headphones, in which case it is suitable for anywhere.

Enjoy:



I reckon it looks pretty cool, with snappy dialogue, and a good dark feel. I also think it will go a long way towards showing the world whether or not Megan Fox can actually act (other than running, screaming, looking hot, or doing all at once).

Let The Right One In remake still going ahead

source: latimesblog.com

Cloverfield-director Matt Reeves has spoken to the LA Times about his upcoming remake of Swedish vampire flick Let the Right One In.

The remake was officially announced last year as the original flick burned its way across international screens grabbing acclaim across the world. It tells the story of 12-year-old Oskar and his best friend/vampire mistress Eli.

Reeves has revealed a couple of details about the English-language remake to the Times.

The picture, renamed Let Me In, will still be a close adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist's Swedish novel. It will be set in Reagan-era Colorado. Casting director Avy Kaufman (The Sixth Sense, Lemony Snicket) has been hired to employ two twelve-year old leads. Reeves has assured fans of the original that the characters will not be 'aged-up' to emulate a Twilight-style romance. This is good news, because Twilight is an awful, awful film.

The film was originally headed for a January 2010 release date, but has since been pushed to late 2010. Slashfilm suggests this might open the possibility of an Oscar push. Well, seeing that every film will soon be nominated for Best Picture, maybe there is some room in the winners circle for Let Me In.

In my opinion, Let The Right One In is one of the true masterpieces of the past decade. It's a brilliantly subdued and chillingly creepy drama, and it features one of the most brutal and shocking endings of all time. Original director Tomas Alfredson wasn't afraid of letting the film take its time to build terror. Understandably, there is little faith that American producers would be similarly patient.

However, I also think that Cloverfield is one of the best blockbusters of the past few years. It brought something genuinely new to the genre, and took the time to get to know its lead characters (even if they were narcissistic billionaire twenty-something's). I will eagerly look forward to Reeves' future projects, and perhaps he can treat the LTROI property with the right amount of respect. Worst case scenario, he brings the original film into the consciousness of mainstream audiences.

Discuss: Remakes - is there a place for them? Does Let The Right One In really need one?

Funkyzeit - Bruno review

Bruno - Starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Gustaf Hammersten. Directed by Larry Charles. Rated MA for strong sex scenes and nudity, crude humour and coarse language. 80 mins.

There are more laughs to be had in Bruno’s brisk 80 minutes than in the combined entirety of pretty much every other comedy this year. Seeing this film in a packed cinema is about as much fun you can have in a theater without being arrested. In fact, Bruno might even challenge its spiritual predecessor Borat on the laughs-per-minute scale. However, the film is as vapid as its eponymous star. It is equally an evisceration and a tribute to the ultimately empty pursuit of fame.

Sacha Baron Cohen has ditched the mankini and donned the hotpants to embody everyone’s favourite homosexual Austrian fashion guru Bruno. The flamboyant celebrity is fired from his job as host of Funkyzeit mit Bruno after accidentally (wink) sabotaging Milan Fashion Week. Spurned by his fellow fashionistas, Bruno heads to LA to become “the most famous Austrian since Hitler”. Joined by his doe-eyed, 'plain-Jane' assistant Lutz (Gustaf Hammersten), Bruno attempts to produce an American television program, sort out peace in the Middle East, adopt an African baby, and eventually convert to heterosexuality. You know, just like any other average celebrity.

A plot synopsis doesn’t quite capture the visceral thrill of our hero’s bizarre and shocking adventure. Director Larry Charles skillfully welds the fabricated situations with the ‘gotcha’ style confrontations that have made Baron Cohen a modern legend. His run-ins with a terrorist leader and four homophobic camping buddies will leave you clawing at your eyes in cringe-worthy terror. (I would comment on the fact that a gun was pulled on the crew in the latter situation and not in the former, but I’ll leave that to more intelligent social commentators).

When it comes to jaw-dropping ‘how-the-hell-did-they-get-away-with-that’ moments, Bruno trumps Borat in a big, bad way. Hell, Borat looks like a mild-mannered bank teller when compared to the exploits seen in Bruno. The film has far too many highlights to mention, although I must admit that a particular incident involving a focus group had tears streaming down my face. In fact, I only need to write down the word ‘focus group’ to bring back the giggles. See, I did it again! (You can’t tell but I’m giggling as I write this).

Unfortunately, Bruno lacks the biting social commentary that made Borat a modern classic. In his last film, Baron Cohen eviscerated middle-American culture; he unearthed the bigotry, sexism, homophobia and nervous paranoia of George W. Bush’s U.S.A through the prism of a pseudo-Middle Eastern stereotype. In Bruno, Baron Cohen does reengage the Bible belt, employing the homophobia angle once again. However, he seems mostly concerned with mocking America’s culture of celebrity. And wouldn’t you believe it; he goes easy on them! Of all people, surely the Paris Hilton’s and the Perez Hilton’s of the world deserve a public shaming. Perhaps Baron Cohen is making too many Hollywood friends to have a real go at the glitterati?

The structure of Bruno also feels less organic than Borat's (which was already pretty inorganic). The picture struggles to find a through-line until well into the second act, and the storyline often feels like a rehash of Cohen’s past feature. In the end however, these flaws don’t really dull the gut-busting experience of Bruno. Virtually every punch line scores a hearty laugh, the cringe-worthy moments are beautifully unwatchable, and Baron Cohen’s precise, unflinching and sharp performance is once again pitch-perfect. This man is heading to the all-time comedy greats hall of fame, if he’s not there already. Of course, the flick won’t be for everyone. For instance, if you find penises (real or fake) confronting, you can pretty much write off a solid 40% of the film’s material. Dr. Manhattan himself would blush at the frequency (and sometimes even the application) of the members that turn up in Bruno. But hey, Sacha Baron Cohen doesn’t make movies for your grandmother. That is, unless she’s a pretty awesome grandmother.

4.5/5

Check out my other reviews here.

What is the greatest movie trilogy ever?

We’re calling you out Quickflixers! We want to know what YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE TRILOGY is! Everyone has one, and we want to know yours!

We’ll take pretty much any suggestion you’ve got. Whether it’s one story stretched out over three films (ie. Lord of the Rings), or three stories featuring the same characters (ie. the first three Indiana Jones flicks). If there have been more than three films in a series, you can suggest the first three or the last three or even the middle three. Hey, it may not even really be a trilogy (see Simon’s fave below).

Hit the comments section and let us know your ALL-TIME FAVOURITE MOVIE TRILOGY!

Some examples, por favor:

DVDman – The Mexico Trilogy

My favourite movie trilogy is Robert Rodriguez’ Mexico trilogy, made up of El Mariachi, Desperado, and Once Upon A Time In Mexico. They are great movies and they also parallel the director’s rise from film school grad with $0 budget to major Hollywood player.

Simon Miraudo – The Vengeance Trilogy

South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy is a bloody and ballsy dive into the murky depths of the revenge-hardened arteries of mankind. Although it’s more of a thematic trilogy (Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance feature three separate tales), Park’s films are insanely addictive watching. How addictive? I’ve devoted an entire year and an Honours Thesis to it. That addictive.

But enough from us. We’re boring! We want to hear from you! Let no Movie Trilogy stone be left unturned! Hit us up in the comments section with your fave!

The ungood - The Unborn DVD review

The Unborn – Starring Odette Yustman, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Goode and Gary Oldman. Directed by David S. Goyer. Rated M for horror themes and infrequent coarse language. 87 mins. Available on DVD.

When it comes to horror films, I am extremely forgiving. Although it’s preferable, I don’t require a horror movie to have particularly good acting or dialogue to find it enjoyable. All I ask is that it give me a couple of scares, or at the very least be kind of creepy. The Unborn has no such courtesy. It is a cheap, limp, frightless horror film that conjures up as much terror as the thought of having accidentally left the iron on at home. But even that comparison is a slight to the unbridled horror of an appliance that will eventually turn itself off.

Odette Yustman stars as Casey, a young university student who is struck by visions of sinister children, lost mittens and dogs with upside down heads. While babysitting a particularly spooky young boy, she is told that ‘jumby wants to be born now’, in a manner that only spooky young actors can muster. Jumby is of course Casey’s late twin brother, strangled to death in utero by her own umbilical cord. He decides to exact his revenge on his sister in one of the cruelest ways – placing her at the center of a generic supernatural thriller.

This is the kind of horror film that is scary if you’ve never seen another horror film before. Or any movie with any kind of tension. Hell, this is the kind of horror film that is scary if all you have ever seen is Hannah Montana. I honestly cannot fathom who would find this movie chilling, and I say that will all due respect to 13-year-old girls around the world. Every supposed ‘shock’ in The Unborn is unearned; jump scares carefully formulated to make teenage girls intermittently throw their popcorn in the air and seek comfort in the arms of their boyfriends.

The acting is barely competent. Yustman, clearly troubled by the concept of embodying another character, really struggles to carry this film. She has boiled down her necessary facial expressions from “concerned” right down to “slightly more concerned”. She mercifully spends the majority of the film in her underwear, at least temporarily distracting us from the fact that we are expected to care about her fate at the movie’s climax.

What is most disappointing about The Unborn is the wasted cast. While teen heartthrobs Meagan Goode and Cam Gigandet add little to proceedings, there is a bevy of underutilised performers who would have provided a much more entertaining film if left to their own devices in an empty room with a camera. Gary Oldman stars as a Rabbi intent on helping out Casey with her demonic possession. Either Goldman owes a favour to writer/director David S. Goyer (who co-wrote the last two Batman films) or he too has been hit by the recent credit crunch. The rest of the film is a depressing parade of actors you wish would have had more sense. “Oh man, is that Dexter’s dad? And hey, that’s Carla Gugino! Except she doesn’t have any lines! Oh no, Stringer Bell! Not you too!”

The script is terrible. And I mean really awful. One character asks “Do you believe in ghosts?” and the other one says without pause “you know I do”, with the sincerity of someone saying they believe in gravity. The narrative plods along until you can barely take it. Clocking in just shy of 80 minutes, I shudder at the thought of David Goyer helming a two hour horror film. I honestly wonder if Goyer attempted to research the history of horror cinema, got to last year’s One Missed Call, and then called it quits. This weekend alone I watched Wes Craven’s banned exploitation flick The Last House on the Left and Dario Argento’s terrifying classic Inferno. I truly, truly recommend watching either of those instead of The Unborn. Or your wall. Just staring at your wall is also an acceptable alternative too.

0.5/5

Check out my other reviews here!

The Arrested Development doco needs your help!

source: arresteddevelopmentdoc.com

Do you love Arrested Development? Then you'll love The Arrested Development Documentary Project!

A couple of mad AD fans are producing a self-funded documentary on everyone (well, everyone cool)'s favourite television show.

The untitled documentary is the brainchild of LA natives Neil Lieberman and Jeff Smith, who have set the following manifesto:

"The overall goal of the documentary is to provide awareness and education of this brilliant, witty and original comedy. We are looking to interview viewers, cast, crew and any other industry figures that are fans or critics of the show."

Check out the trailer below, featuring interviews with primary cast members including Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor and Will Arnett, as well as creator Mitch Hurwitz and producer/narrator Ron Howard.

Since the film is self-funded, Neil and Jeff are imploring fans to donate any money possible to their cause. They've already charged $20,000 to their credit cards while traveling across the U.S., Canada and even London to interview hardcore fans. Sure, the money would probably be better spent going to some sort of charity, but I'll leave the final decision up to you.

Check out the trailer, and decide whether or not you'd like a theoretical producer's credit on the flick!



Looks like a pretty impressive effort so far. Let's get this 90 minute flick some distribution! Any further press on Arrested Development only drags us closer to that Official Arrested Development movie!

Discuss: What's that? You've never seen Arrested Development? Get the hell of my blog!