Trailer Time!

It’s been a while since we’ve had a round up of trailers here at The Sound and Fury, so I thought I would take this time  (I’d be sitting on my ass anyway) to present to you, dear readers, in one place and in the highest possible quality (that part’s not really true) some of the more salacious (and not) trailers that are floating around the internets at the moment. So, grab a favorite beverage, sit back in your dark computer room, and enjoy.

First up, Source Code. The blurbage:

When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
In an assignment unlike any he's ever known, he learns he's part of a government experiment called the "Source Code," a program that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life.
With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack.
Filled with mind-boggling twists and heart-pounding suspense, Source Code is a smart action-thriller directed by Duncan Jones (Moon) also starring Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Due Date), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed), and Jeffrey Wright (Quantum of Solace, Syriana).

Source Code is out in theaters April 15, 2011

Sound and Fury Verdict: Yes, please!

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Next up, we’ve got Red Riding Hood preceded by some more blurbage.

In “Red Riding Hood,” Seyfried plays Valerie, a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Max Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie’s older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon’s arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each moon, Valerie begins to suspect that the werewolf could be someone she loves. As panic grips the town, Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast–one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect…and bait.

Red Riding Hood arrives in theaters March 11th, 2011.

Sound and Fury Verdict: A serious adaptation of the fairy tale made famous by the Grimm brothers is an exciting premise. This, however, despite the inclusion of the über-talented Gary Oldman looks like some kind of horrible mash up of Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow meets Twilight.

We respectfully decline.

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Our next trailer is for a film adaptation of a graphic novel called Cowboys and Aliens. Here is some very lengthy blurbage:

Blockbuster filmmaker Jon Favreau directs Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford in an event film for summer 2011 that crosses the classic Western with the alien-invasion movie in a blazingly original way: Cowboys & Aliens. Joined by an arsenal of top moviemakers—Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci—he brings an all-new action thriller that will take audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world.

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear.

But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival

Cowboys and Aliens is due out July 29, 2011.

Sound and Fury Verdict: I have to admit that I’ve completely ignored news on this one simply because the title sounded too ridiculous to even waste time considering. I mean, throwing two anachronistic things together with some VFX does not a good movie make. (See Will Smith and Kevin Kline in the 1999 film Wild Wild West for more on this.) But when you start tossing out names like Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, and you manage a trailer like the one we just saw, then I say we should have gotten E.T. and Josey Wales together sooner! Yippee-ki -ay, Yoda!

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Season of the Witch sounds like an interesting movie. Check it, and some requisite blurbabe, out now!

Oscar winner Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman star in this supernatural action adventure about a heroic Crusader and his closest friend who return home after decades of fierce fighting, only to find their world destroyed by the Plague. The church elders, convinced that a girl accused of being a witch is responsible for the devastation, command the two to transport the strange girl to a remote monastery where monks will perform an ancient ritual to rid the land of her curse. They embark on a harrowing, action-filled journey that will test their strength and courage as they discover the girl's dark secret and find themselves battling a terrifyingly powerful force that will determine the fate of the world.

Season of the Witch will open in theaters January 7, 2011.

Sound and Fury Verdict: Nicholas Cage has to be the richest, most famous con artist of our time. This guy lands roles in big movies like they’re handing them out down at the unemployment line. I mean, come on. He is either: A) the world’s greatest shyster, B) a very skilled conjurer, C) or a man who knows the dirty, little secrets of many-a Hollywood mover and shaker. How else could he pull the wool over so many casting director’s eyes? 

I would be excited for this film based on this trailer if it weren’t for Nic Cage. You’ve got Ron Perlman, medieval battles, the forces of darkness, cool VFX… But among it all, you’ve got the drawling, droning Nic Cage who delivers his lines with all of the passion and conviction of a piece of driftwood. (My apologies to any and all offended pieces of driftwood that may be reading this post.) Do we always have to have an American lead, even when the character is clearly British? I’m reminded of Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Gere in First Knight. Ugh.

Anyway, Season of the Witch reminds me of another supernatural movie set in the medieval period that seems to hold promise. And it stars Sean Bean. So there. Check out the trailer for Black Death here. I posted it a while back. No telling when it’s being released here.

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I’ve already posted the trailer for the next film, but I thought it deserved inclusion here. In case you missed it here is the trailer for Battle: Los Angeles. And some blurbage.

For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they've ever encountered before.

Battle: Los Angeles is due in theaters March 11, 2011.

Sound and Fury Verdict: We likey!

Kirk out!

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I’: A film review

A-MAZ-ING (uh-maze-ing)!!!

There now. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, let’s get down to my review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, shall  we? And just this once, since all hope for professionalism has flown directly out of the window, I’m going to cut straight to the chase. A sort of stream of consciousness review, if you will. 

Well, we waited until Sunday to let the crowds die down a bit. I bought the tickets early, and we showed up at The Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar about an hour and a half early (don’t worry about the wait, they serve beer!). We managed first position in the queue (yeah, our means of getting there were a bit dodgy) and ordered a pair of beers (see, I told you we had the wait covered). I ordered an appropriate English Dark Ale called Hobgoblin for myself, and a Blue Moon for Kelley. 

They let us into the theater pretty early, and we enjoyed the typical pre-show entertainment that The Alamo is famous for while we decided what to order to eat. We decided on the green chile cheese fries as an appetizer, ordered refreshers for our drinks, and settled in for the show. 

I never get very excited about something until it sure to happen (isn’t that pessimistic?), and my excitement swelled on cue when that trademark Warner Bros. symbol floated towards us from the screen and those familiar first notes from John Williams’ score came tinkling out of the surround sound speakers. The roller coaster ride had begun.

First of all, if you’ve never read a Harry Potter book or seen a Harry Potter movie, then you’re out of luck. I’m not going to summarize six book/film plots just because you’re too stubborn to get on the bandwagon. Now, for those of you that are up to speed, but haven’t yet seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, let me urge you to buy tickets as soon as possible, and see it. From start to finish, this is a beautiful film. And as far as I’m concerned, the best Potter film yet. 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I has it all. It has happy. It has sad. It has funny, silly, drama, action, chases, magical shoot outs, anger, betrayal, redemption, daring rescues, and so much more. 

Did I mention that it has sad? 

Yeah, Harry, Hermione, and Ron have grown up. They have real issues to contend with in addition to all of the odd stuff the wizarding world is throwing at them, and all of those real human emotions and human situations create an environment that allows these characters to really stretch their legs and walk around in who they are as people, not just who they are as wizards and witches. So the movie has drama. 

Check. 

One thing that I think this film does better than any of the Potter films is action. The action scenes are well planned, well shot, and well written. The kind of magic these kids are tossing out is more likely to result in severe laceration than a bad case of acne. The sound effects and VFX used to convey the use of magic onscreen are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Make no mistake: the magic in this movie is to be taken seriously, and so are the people using it. 

The shooting locations in this film are breathtaking, and provide some seriously juicy fodder for the cinematographer, who handles them brilliantly. The sets never feel grandiose just for the purpose of being grandiose. Every step in this film has been carefully planned, well thought out, and executed with the intention of bringing the ending of one of the most important book series’ of our time to life. From the direction to set design, to VFX, the film score, cinematography, acting, comedic timing, to the adaptation of the screen play; everything is spot on. 

And if that isn’t saying enough, I have these closing remarks:

The last time I found myself thinking before a film was even over that I wanted to see it again was with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings adaptations. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I has taken its place amongst those movies in my mind. This is why I go to the movies, kids.

Score: 4/5

Kirk out.