infamous

Now, I know that you have all been itching to know exactly how it is that the Lycans broke away from their Vampire lords because the tidbits given the first movie of the trilogy, just was not enough.  It simply whetted your appetite for more.  So, here you have your steak.

The third (hopefully the last) of the Underworld series has released a trailer for your viewing pleasure.  The first one was interesting and stimulating, the second one lacking, and the third one . . . ?  It definitely has one thing going for it.  Audiences love the epic CGI computerized festival of creatures, and that werewolf pack looked pretty amazing.  However, can the grandiose nature of the visual stimuli make up for the one factor that got me through the sequel in this series?  No Kate Beckinsale in tight black leather walking around in various levels of wetness?  I might have to pass.

 
Watchmen trailer was released recently and it is visually a rollercoaster of stimuli.  It was screened at the Scream 2008 awards where it received an award for most anticipated movie.  Sometimes trailer editors get accused of putting all the best stuff in the trailer and leaving nothing as a surprise for the actually film.  This might be the case, but how could you pass on a nuclear explosion going off behind the light touch of a kiss to the lips?  I mean really?  This movie is destined to pull in the box office dollars, and I am just praying that it’s not a flop on content.  The story is excellent and the visuals are amazing, but only time will tell the reaction of the finicky fans of the comic book world.

The new rendition of Friday the 13^th has released a trailer.  I’m not sure what to think.  For fans of the original film, you will notice instantly that there is an edgier feel than in the previous film, albeit ever since Friday the 13^th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, they have been nothing but a laugh riot.  It made me recall sitting in front of the television at the age of seven or eight and turning on HBO to see the rain pouring down on a man in a ski mask.  I think I was hooked on horror movies from that moment on.  Hopefully some additional trailers will come out to show us which direction the new director took the film.

On August 13th, this ridiculously funny comedy Tropic Thunder is being released.  If you have not seen this trailer, you are seriously missing out.  It looks like Ben Stiller has done it again, taking the comedy genre another step towards a belly ache of laughs.

The film also stars Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr.  To add to the fun Robert Downey Jr. plays a white actor, who has undergone a “special surgery” to play the role of a black man.  This of course will lead to hilarity at a new level.  To top it off the trio are filming a Vietnam era action movie that turns a little to real.

The NYT is covering the film this morning in an article saying:

“Tropic Thunder” has about as much feminine presence as “Platoon.” That combat classic, Mr. Stiller recently told The Los Angeles Daily News, helped inspire him to make a satire when its director, Oliver Stone, dismissed him at a casting meeting for the movie with the words “You’re cute.”

“Tropic Thunder” follows actors who get tangled up in real warfare with a paramilitary drug gang while working out their anxieties and insecurities on a “Platoon”-like movie shoot. Along the way they dabble in some humor that is exceptionally rude, especially for DreamWorks.

So you are a huge fan of the Joker, your board, your twenty, and you’re (ahem) a little kooky.  What do you do?  You dress up as the Dark Knight’s nemesis and create a little havoc.  According to an AP report this morning twenty year old Taylor Spencer dressed up as the Joker and headed to his local picture show theatre and attempted to steal Batman posters and other memorabilia in plain view of the employees of the theatre in a, wait for it, purple suit.  Subtlety is obviously not this kid’s strong suit.  There are fans, and then there are super-fans, and then there is this guy.

The trailer for the new Terminator Salvation was released at Comic-Con.  Christian Bale is starring as the futuristic war hero John Conner.  This is one of those sequels that could be disappointing.  The third edition to this story was almost unnecessary, although I enjoyed the movie.  Christian Bale does have a great thing going with Batman, and it would be a shame to see that crumble because of a poor showing here.  However, being a big fan of the series, I am definitely going to watch it, despite opinions.  I am sure that with McG on the scene that the product will be good.  The trailer certainly does look amazing.

The AP reported the death of Estelle Getty today.  She was best known for her role on The Golden Girls as Sophia.  She died on Tuesday.

Is it odd that as a young man I actually watched the Golden Girls?  I don’t know what it was about that show that attracted me as a kid, but I actually found it to be quite funny.  I do not believe that a thirteen year old boy was the target audience, but they had me. The character of Sophia was my favorite, with Blanche as a close second.  It was not until recently that I learned, Estelle was the youngest of the group.  Although she played the not always lovable matriarch of the bunch, she was considerable younger than the rest of the actresses.  I guess that speaks to her great character work.

So long to another great performer this year.  Thanks for the laughs.

Article out on the AP this morning for AFI’s list of top 10 films in 10 genres.

Animation goes to Snow White. Of course, like there was even a question!

Romantic Comedies goes to City Lights, the Chaplin film for any not familiar. This is a bit silly, but only two on the list of ten were made in my lifetime, so these ten are more like a homage to movie making.

Western goes to The Searchers. Really! Shane came in third, which is silly and The Unforgiven was fourth. Maybe I’m partial because it was one of the first films I watched when I really began to appreciate the art form, but Eastwood’s Unforgiven is easily the best western ever made. Also, missing was Tombstone. How could you not put Tombstone on this list, at least in the top five.

Sports goes to Raging Bull, probably Robert DeNiro’s worst role ever. I was happy to see Rocky come in second and Caddyshack pulling in at seventh. Now this list is getting some respect.

Mystery goes to Vertigo. Okay, but Usual Suspects is tenth. Come on guys, Usual Suspects after Laura or Dial M for Murder. Ludicrous, I’m telling Keyser Soze.

Fantasy goes to The Wizard of Oz. I’m sure that the Lord of the Rings was a close second. No doubt it would have been first if the movie had not ended three times in the final installment. Also some surprising showings were Groundhog Day at eight and Big at ten. This is by far the most accurate accounting of any of the genres I think.

Sci-Fi goes to 2001. Star Wars comes in second, and this is obviously a misprint as the two must have gotten reversed.

Gangster goes to, like there was even a question, The Godfather. Coming in second, and a good spot for it, is Goodfellas.

Courtroom Drama goes to To Kill a Mockingbird. A Few Good Men is also on this list at number five. That’s a surprise, I can’t even remember what that film is about. “You can’t handle the truth!” That’s the only thing that stuck.

Epic goes to Lawrence of Arabia. This is the best list of must see films. Ben-Hur pulls in second and Schindler’s List is third. There is not a film on this list of ten that most people have not seen.

AFI’s site is really nice. They have individual links to all the films with trailers, taped interviews, and film stills.