The international trailer of Les Miserables just gives me the goosebumps, albeit the happy excited type! Just the very first second of the trailer was enough to create sparks in me with the the simple humming of a signature tune. Just with that haunting, melodic and oh so familiar sound, I was drawn into the trailer like a baby’s unquenchable curiosity. So far I love what I see and have high hopes for this film adaptation of a beloved musical production, especially since it will be featuring live singing in the movie.
The film has an expected Christmas Day release in Singapore which is just about a month away. So let the COUNTDOWN BEGIN!
THE MOMENT I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR HAS COME! No the movie isn’t out yet but… (drum rollz) … …a new trailer for Oz: The Great and Powerfulhas been released and I am very excited with what I see!
No doubt, it would be safe to say fans of the Wizard of Oz world and Wicked will be eagerly anticipating this movie with hungry and voracious appetites. With Spider-Man trilogy director Sam Raimi at the helm, coupled with a current and gorgeous lead cast, Oz: The Great and Powerful looks set to mesmerize the hearts of long-loving fans as well as to capture new ones with the razzle dazzle of its colourful world. James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams are charming talents that each carry their own weight in gold. These four usually never fail to light up the big screen with magic whenever they appear.
Spotted in the trailer are enchanting visuals with vivid and colourful landscapes, talking crows, munchkins, fighting witches, dazzling splendor and a captivating fantasy realm. Meant to be a prequel exploring the beginnings of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character the Wizard of Oz, this new trailer gives audiences a much clearer view of the story’s characters and a better sense of the plot. Three witches are unmistakenly identified in the trailer, namely Theodora, Evanora and Glinda. As there are many different names for the witches in different depictions of the story, I am not sure how many witches there really is in this film. Will there be actually four of them or will one of the three turn into the notorious Wicked Witch of The West? That is THE question that I will be looking out for in the film scheduled for a March 8 release next year!
But till then you can just watch the trailer below. Well go on, and take a step into the Wonderful World of Oz!:)
For Zombie loving fans who are romantics at heart, Warm Bodies must look really appetizing judging by the trailer. Cute chubby boy actor (About a boy) turned super hot and sexy looking man, Nicholas Hoult – who is dating current super hot hollywood commodity Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) – stars in the lead role as a zombie who starts developing feelings for a girl after consuming the brains of his latest victim. The hilarious and absurd situations of zombies combined with a romance factor could be an interesting recipe. And going by how popular zombie movies are becoming (World War Z starring Brad Pitt is coming up too), I sense a new wave coming. Maybe the vampire and werewolf era is becoming a thing of the past, and zombies are becoming the new drool worthy pinups;) Oh and did I mention? The studio behind the Twilight Saga, Summit Entertainment, is backing this film* Coincidence? Whatever it is, I’m a fan of Zombie shows so that works for me ^.^
After a zombie becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world. – IMDb
Here are some not as commercially (read blockbuster kind of promotional marketing) publicized movies that have caught my attention, they all look thrilling and intense!
FLIGHT
Denzel Washington stars in this thrilling drama, need I say more? I have loved every movie of him that I’ve seen so Denzel definitely has a good track record with me!;]
“In this action-packed mystery thriller, Academy Award winner Denzel Washington stars as Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot who miraculously crash-lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. After the crash, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault, and what really happened on that plane?”
STARBUCK
This film looks like a charmer. The trailer is much more appealing than the synopsis below:)
“A habitual sperm donor in his youth, David discovers that he’s the biological father of 533 children, 142 of whom are trying to force the fertility clinic to reveal the true identity of the prolific donor code-named Starbuck.”
FOR ELLEN
After the delightful experience of watching Ruby Sparks, I have grown a more positive inkling towards Paul Dano movies as I loved his performance in that film. And so seeing his name in the cast of For Ellen is what really caught my attention and got me watching the trailer. This movie is probably old news for those overseas, but For Ellen has yet to show in my country:(
“Aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano – THERE WILL BE BLOOD, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) has wanted nothing more than to “make it,” having flirted with fame but never crossed over into true success. In the midst of a low period in his life, he agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva – “Revenge,” “How To Make It In America”) in order to see money from the sale of their home, only to discover that by signing the papers, he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (newcomer Shaylena Mandigo). With a good-natured lawyer (Jon Heder – NAPOLEON DYNAMITE) unable to make headway in reversing the decision, and a girlfriend (Jena Malone – INTO THE WILD) that represents an era of his life that he might be ready to graduate from, Joby negotiates a visit with his daughter to explore whether he is able to walk away from his child, and whether it might be too late for reconciliation.”
STARLET
What drew me to this film was the poster and the cute dogs in the first few minutes of the trailer. But to my pleasant surprise, at the end of the trailer I found myself feeling warm and glad to have stumbled upon this. This film looks like an endearing story revolving around the unlikely friendship between a young 21 year old and an elderly widow. The characterization of the roles look promising too. It gives off a warm, tender vibe that make me fuzzy wuzzy and charmed inside. But there’s definitely a deeper and more sombre aspect to it as well.
BACK TO 1942
Chinese history has led to some really strong and emotional storylines in films, especially during the war periods. Those usually tend to make me self reflect on life once the credits start rolling, hence I always keep a look out for such dramas as they can get really intense. Back To 1942 looks like it could be interesting:]
“Back in 1942, Henan Province was devastated by the most tragic famine in modern Chinese history, resulting in the deaths of at least three million men, women and children. Although the primary cause of the famine was a severe drought, it was exacerbated by locusts, windstorms, earthquakes, epidemic disease and the corruption of the ruling Kuomintang government.”
THE BIG PICTURE
A 2010 French film with the original title, L’homme qui voulait vivre sa vie, The Big Picture looks very appealing in terms in story and direction. A man who has it all commits a fatal mistake during a moment of rage, and from there his old life ceases to exist as he takes up the identity of the person he has killed and tries to hide from his past. The international release date on iTunes Movie Trailers says October 12, but I have yet to see it in my local theatres. I think it came out in the UK last year already. I certainly hope the local box offices and distributers in my island did not skip on this awesome title! I last saw Romain Duris in the french hit Heartbreaker and I really enjoyed it.
The yellow minions of Despicable me practically stole the show with their crazy brand of antics and humour coupled with an unfathomable amount of cuteness. Their influence should not be taken lightly; since taking the spotlight in 2010, the minions have earned themselves a legion of fans young and old with an impressive 2.9 million likes and counting on their standalone MINIONS facebook page! It is no wonder that the first trailers promoting the sequel have all been focused on the minions. A new trailer released by Universal Studios on iTunes Movie Trailers follows the same direction with the scene revolving mainly around the little yellow ones. Check out this cute clip/trailer – which sees 2 minions investigating a mysterious noise in the backyard – by clicking on the iTunes Movie Trailers link below! I just love the final scene with the minion in maid’s clothing, that is definitely going to be my halloween costume next year ;p
“The Minions are back and they are scheduled to charm us again in cinemas on July 3. Countries like France and Australia the UK can expect to see the minions earlier as Despicable Me 2 is set to hit those shores on June 26, 27 and 28 respectively.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Wilee) stars in this fast paced movie which involves a bunch of bike messengers. One day Wilee ends up with more than he bargained for when he picks up a package that sends many people hot on his trail. Wilee is the star biker of the bunch who loves the speed and prefers going fast without the use of brakes on his ride. Expect many fast chases and spills on two wheels in this one!
MY RANT:
When after watching a movie involving bicycle chases you go out and grab a pair of bicycle gloves, you know that the film definitely has appeal. This is exactly what Premium Rush made me feel after the credits started rolling.
The story is simple yet refreshing. Standing out from the crowd of car chases and gunfights that cloud up other hollywood films, Premium Rush uses the idea of bicycle messengers and makes it look thrilling! For people clueless about bicycles, the newly found awareness of how fast bicycles can go and the actual danger of using brakes while traveling at such light speeds adds an interesting informative and thrill to the experience. Now people can see how riding fast on a bicycle isn’t such a walk in the park after all.
Director and writer David Koepp does well in creating a film that combines both geek and thrill seamlessly. And his choice of lead actor in Joseph Gordon-Levitt (JGL) certainly is a wise one as who is else screams geek, chic and cool at the same time better than JGL himself!
In the film there are adequate amounts of geek vibe in terms of bicycle stunts and gadgets (gps) that would charm both bike enthusiasts and normal audiences alike, though a heavier focus on more extreme stunts would no doubt have been much more exciting and appealing. The chases and spills were good fun especially with the way the film was presented – with a touch of cheesy humour added through a few tongue-in-cheek moments. The meticulous road mapping brain of JGL’s character with his “which route to take” moments replayed in his mind added a sweet touch of wackiness to the film which added to the fun.
The element of switching between the present and past (few hours back) in the story-telling worked nicely as it grabbed attention and made audiences sit up right from the start; I mean who wouldn’t be curious with a crash in the opening scene and seeing JGL flying through the air!
However, there is one area that really disappointed me as I felt that Premium Rushcould have easily been a much stronger and greater movie otherwise. The trigger that started this whole wild goose bike chase could have been a more complex and engaging story with more threatening consequences. The actual story used revolving around Jamie Chung felt a little too tame and was not thrilling enough for me, I clearly expected more heart pumping and major conflicts coming. That would have added more weight to the whole film and I think audiences would have take it more seriously too. But then again, maybe this film worked precisely because of its popcorn nature of an action thriller, so I can’t complain too much.
Coming down to the wire, Premium Rushis a really entertaining movie for someone looking for fun and action. The characters’ stories are decent too and there is surprisingly a good dash – just a dash – of violence for those who like their movies hardcore. But as with all fast rides, speed can thrill but for some it might not be their cup of tea. One might not be impressed, but I doubt they will hate it:)
FUN FACT
JGL and almost all of his fellow actors on a bike got injured during the making of the film. No green screen were used and hence the crashes you see on screen were physically simulated and really happening. I guess that’s why I found it so exciting watching these bike messengers go up against the harsh new york traffic!;] Below is a clip of JGL showing his gashed arm after crashing into the back of a taxi’s windshield. Warning: It’s bloody with some inappropriate language! :o)