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This week’s No-Prize goes to reader Donovan K. who illustrated, not to severely pun here, the difference between traditional animation, computer animation and where the new film, APPLESEED, reviewed last week, falls in-between…
Peter wraps up his in-depth look at Neil Gaiman’s 1602…
Translators are so much fun. I wanted a really good Japanese translation to “stick it up you’re a$$” in this week’s theme of Why I’ve Been Thinking About The Trailer For APPLESEED For The Past Seven Days and what I think of those who believe otherwise about the viability of animation in today’s thrill and chill landscape.
Peter continues his in-depth look at Neil Gaiman’s 1602…
Some really great trailers broke this week and Spielberg’s TERMINAL was not one of them. What a disappointment. The man who gave MINORITY REPORT and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN to the world within six months of each other produced a big goose egg if the trailer is to be believed.
Peter wraps up his in-depth look at Frank Miller’s Dark Knight…
I’m issuing a Mea Culpa here: I am incredibly and unabashedly biased towards the new SPIDER-MAN 2 film. As you can see by the length of the review I felt a slight leaning towards the positive ends of things. I believe it has everything going for it and in these times of vapid and hollow summer blockbusters this may actually have something riveting enough to classify as a comic book movie with heart. But you can read all of that at the bottom of the page.
Peter takes a look at Gaiman’s 1602 #7…
$39,167 is what SHAOLIN SOCCER made last week in its debut across America. Was it that bad? Was it so unwatchable that people chose weeks old offerings like DIRTY DANCING: HAVANA NIGHTS and SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE (which is out already on DVD) because it sucked so bad? No.
So, ShoWest was last week. For those that don’t know, ShoWest is a convention that features “a variety of studio sponsored events, informative seminars” and is, “a trade show filled with the latest and greatest innovations in motion picture technology.” It’s essentially way for your local mega multiplex owner to come see what’s new and improved in the world of the movie theater business. One of the nice things about this whole thing was that many new movie posters surfaced from the hallowed halls of the studio’s marketing department and it also gives a good look at what to expect this summer season.
Peter spotlights the late, great comics legend, Julius Schwartz…
Another week, another set of four trailers to read. Yes, only four as you people are going to step in and offer some advice to some up-and-coming auteurs of cinema. There was some good response to the request for filmmakers who needed some exposure to their projects. When you watch these you can easily feel the work that went into making them and I am happy, at the very least, to offer a soap box to stand on and be judged on their trailers. Obviously, the trailers are but a sliver of the entire completed project but this is what sells a film and everyone needs your help in giving feedback about what works, what doesn’t and what could be better.
I am reminded of Martha and her catchphrase she uttered with resounding conviction, before her conviction, when I see the early reviews coming in for DAWN OF THE DEAD. On top of that, getting an extended ten-minute preview on USA this week was all that was needed to seal the deal. I applaud Universal for not only taking the ballsy move to secure the time to show the first ten minutes of the film, but that they believe enough in the picture to even give a thought to doing something like this. Obviously, there are some drawbacks to showing an insight into the pacing, cadence, camera work and acting of those in the picture. One of the drawbacks is that some people could see that you made a crappy-ass movie and you could possibly lose what little support you could have garnered by simply sitting on that jive turkey until a nameless Wednesday comes across so you can drop that bomb like Billy Zane in a Memphis Belle.
The second part of Peter’s look at Frank Miller’s Dark Knight, plus a little Toy Fair”¦
It’s nice to see the studios start rolling out and unfurling the trailers for their tentpoles. While I have yet to see the ones for I, ROBOT or the new SPIDER-MAN 2 be released, I know it’s just a matter of time as the latest for HELLBOY, MAN ON FIRE and even a new ALIENS VS. PREDATOR debuted this week. It’s nice to be coming out of winter and looking ahead to the cool confines of the movie house and unplug. Some have their feelings about summer movies and about their place in modern cinema, but if you take a look at my trailer-o-the-week, DAY AFTER TOMORROW, you will see why it may be a good thing to be paying attention at this year’s crop of summer flicks.
Are we done now with the Oscar pimping, primping and publicizing? Yes, we know Billy Crystal had as much relevance as an Apple IIe, that Joan Rivers and her suckling fawn, Melissa, have as much command of simple facts and decorum as a brain-dead ten-year-old with OCD in a Precious Moments boutique, and that Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Will Ferrell were the funniest parts of the night. Aside from that, and what your feelings are of Bill Murray getting completely robbed of his Oscar, which really”¦
I know it’s almost a cliché to admit but the one thing I like about hospital shows is when they rub those two white paddles together with that clear, K-Y jelly looking stuff and yell “clear” as they either save or do away with a character.
The Hughes brothers, Cuba Gooding Jr., John Singleton, Mario Van Peebles, Kid ‘N Play, Damon Wayans, Ice-T, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long, David Allan Grier, Martin Lawrence, Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, and even the entire crew of Full Force.
There hasn’t been much to coo about in the trailer world lately. I have to assume that studios are getting their ammunition together for the summer season and are willy nilly tossing their junk heaps in front of us in January and February before slamming us with their marketing pop-ups and relentless TV ads come Spring.
Peter goes in-depth on Frank Miller’s Dark Knight…
I was all set to regale the splendor that was the Super Bowl and the trailers they put on display. For quite some time I was plotting and planning a Super Bowl edition of this column just to make room for all the additions. While some of you used your TiVo remotes like a furious thirteen-year-old trying to determine that yes, see, right there, it was Janet’s breast in full bloom, I was using mine to confirm that I had been ripped off this year.
Alex Ross-o-rama…
The greatest news this week is not what was or was not nominated for an Academy Award. I couldn’t care less. Okay, I actually do care but seriously, not more than my anticipation for what trailers are going to run this Sunday during the Super Bowl. If any of you geeks remembers the Super Bowl from two years ago, it was the first time we all got a good look at Spidey and felt how agonizing it would be to wait until May to finally see him in action; or how STAR WARS: EPISODE I gave us all hope until Jake Lloyd and Jar Jar delivered a monkey punch to our collective admiration for George Lucas.
Kuper’s METAMORPHOSIS, NEW X-MEN, Uncle Scrooge, JUNGLE BOOK 2, Batman, and Gaiman…
In AMC’s very informative weekly program, SUNDAY MORNING SHOOTOUT, which you all should be watching if you care at all for a weekly insiders peek at the business of moviemaking, hosts Peter Guber and Peter Bart recently dished for a bit on the cinematic value of movie trailers.