I like watching movie trailers and then reviewing the movie based on the information gleaned from them. I work at the Telluride Film Festival, and I get to see quite a few movies well before their domestic release dates, so I have a little insight into those movies as well. Because the TFF program isn't released until the day of the festival, I like to try and guess what might show up here.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

The Descent

Release Date: August 4, 2006
Neil Marshall (dir.)
Shauna Macdonald
Natalie Jackson Mendoza
Alex Reid
Saskia Mulder
MyAnna Buring
Trailer

Horror movies are one of my favorite things, but also one of the most consistently dissapointing genres out there. This one looks like it's got what I want: creepyness, scariness, quick cuts, and darkness. I love that the creatures are pretty hard to get a good look at, leaving a lot of their design to the imagination. I like the night-vision shots a-la Blair Witch. I find caves to be fascinating anyway, so I'll probably dig the locations too. This would be good in a theatre.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Road to Guantanamo

Release Date: June 23, 2006
Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross (dir.)
Trailer

I've been waiting for a movie like this. Camp X-Ray is a pretty fucked up exercise in the abuse of power and the suspension of human rights. I don't know why nobody seems to care, but perhaps this movie will make things a bit more clear to people. It's a documentary about some dudes who were in the wrong place at the wrong time and wound up prisoners of war. I hope the History Channel picks this up once it finishes its theatrical run.

America: Freedom to Fascism

Release Date: July 28, 2006
Aaron Russo (dir.)
Trailer

Hmm, with all the leftist movies coming out, it's hard to pick one to watch, so I pretty much watch them all. Unless of course some hypocrite yuppy recommends it to me. This film sets out to look at the destruction of liberty since the introduction of the IRS in 1913. Maybe their research is good, and maybe it's not, but I think it's probably a worthwhile thing to go see and make up my own mind about. Let's face it, there's a lot of fucked up shit going on that we passively accept because we all have comfortable lives and lots of toys.

Jet Li's Fearless

Release Date: Sept 22, 2006
Ronny Yu (dir.)
Jet Li
Betty Sun
Dong Yong
Nakamura Shidou
Trailer

This is a fairly nationalistic Chinese movie in which Jet Li kicks all the huge foreigners asses in a battle royale/street fighter/mortal kombat kind of thing. Jet claims to be retired now, having made this movie, which is based on a true story. Frankly, the only reason to retire is to have an excuse to make a comeback, but more power to him. If there's one thing that can be counted on, it's the kicking-assing-ness of the modern Kung-Fu movie. Totally worthy of the big screen, from the looks of things. I'm all for seeing it!

(edit 10/4/06: Saw it tonight and it was great. Good story as well as spectacular fight scenes. Definitely nationalistic, but with an interesting aside to the mixed notions of the Japanese as well)

The Last Kiss

Release Date: Sept 15, 2006
Zach Braff
Casey Affleck
Trailer

Well, after Garden State, I have a lot of respect for Zach Braff. He didn't direct or write this movie though. Still, it seems ok. A 30-ish guy re-evaluating his life and figuring out what he really wants out of a relationship, blah blah blah. Probably a good date movie and I'd probably see it in the cinema.

Borat

Release Date: November 3, 2006
Larry Charles (dir.)
Sacha Baron Cohen
Trailer

This movie looks funny as fuck. It's the Ali G guy, playing his Kazakstani reporter character on a trip to America. The trailer is totally good though, with all this fucked up shit in Kazakstan. Maybe it's not crucial to see this in the cinema, but the audience reaction would probably add something to the film. In any case, I hope to see it.

Little Miss Sunshine


Release Date: July 26, 1006
Greg Kinnear
Steve Carell
Toni Collette
Alan Arkin
Trailer

I think this movie is going to be totally great. Dysfunctional family goes on road trip so that homely daughter can be a beauty queen, or something. Plots aren't really relevant. The important thing is that the film looks hilarious, sarcastic, cynical and just good. It reminds me of Wes Anderson's work, a bit. I hope to catch this in the cinema.

The Puffy Chair

Release Date: June 2, 2006
Mark Duplass
Kathryn Aselton
Rhett Wilkins
Julie Fischer
Bari Hyman
Trailer

Apparently, it's a Coupland-esque story about a guy on a road trip with his girlfriend and best friend and how relationships work. Being that it's twentysomethings, I suppose I can relate. Not polished enough for the big screen, in my opinion, but worth renting. I'd imagine that it's something that leaves one with an uplifting feeling and would probably be suitable for a date movie.

Mouth to Mouth

Release date: May 19, 2006
Alison Murray (dir.)
Ellen Page
Natasha Wightman
Eric Thal
Trailer

This movie looks ok. A bunch of dirty teenage drug fans on the fringe of society figuring out life. A bit of violence and skin doesn't hurt a film like this. Probably won't lose much in the transition to DVD. I'll probably pick it up on rental, eventually.