The Smurfs – Trailer

I feel like this has been around for a while but Sony Pictures UK have only recently added it to their YouTube, it’s the teaser trailer for The Smurfs! Containing almost no footage from The Smurfs! I don’t think.

All I’ve really picked up from this trailer is that the smurfs will be in the big city, meaning we’ll be treated to shots of Gargamel stumbling around all confused. Joy.

Luckily the film features the enigmatic Neil Patrick Harris and maybe even John Lithgow, though that may have been a dream I had.

Dark Day for Cinema as Bynes Says Bye-Bye

Over the weekend the entire film-making community came to a stand still as actress Amanda Bynes announced via her Twitter account that she was retiring from acting at the age of 24. Having taken on major roles in such travesties as What a Girl Wants, Temptation Island, She’s the Man, What I Like About You and Sydney White along with a minor role in the hit Hairspray Bynes has had a long and ultimately not too varied career since her first foray into acting at the age of 13.

When I think of all the great work she had yet to do it almost brings me to tears, beacuae there clearly is no great work in her past. Scorsese, The Coen Brothers, Soderbergh, Tarantino and Winterbottom are just a few of the visionary directors Bynes has yet to have a chance to work with. Presumably it was down to scheduling difficulties. None of the great directors were available to comments during this dark time.

What will you take from us next oh God of cinema? You’ve already taken Amanda Bynes, please leave us Miley Cyrus and her awkward attempts at sexiness and never let the Twilight franchise end.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to watch Charlotte’s Web 2: Wilbur’s Great Adventure and try to regain faith in humanity.

Blah Blah Trailer Blah Blah Pilgrim

I tried to stop myself I honestly did. I at least refuse to embed the new Scott Pilgrim trailer and will hide the madness under a cut. What follows is a sequel to our previous screencap happy post.

Out Now – 18th June 2010

Eek there’s loads of film out today so let’s cut to the chase.

Killers
This looks bad. So far I’ve only seen a short clip on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and that was bad. Normally they show the best clips to try and promote the film so it doesn’t bode well really. But if you want to see Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl play killers in suburbia being stalked by killers or some such nonsense go ahead. The only good thing to come out of this movie is vouchers for Thorpe Park. Oh dear, I’ve sold out.

MacGruber
Based on a mediocre sketch from Saturday Night Live that most of the UK won’t have seen I don’t see this doing too well. It’s a shame as the cast involved are all very funny and the film may be quite good. It porbably isn’t though. Better than Killers at least.

Our Family Wedding
It’s a race based comedy in which an African American and Mexican-American get married and all sorts of hilarious things happen that stem from their families being different races. Not really sure who they’re aiming this film at but I won’t be going for fear of laughing and looking racist. I worry.

Please Give
This is one film that needs to sort out it’s poster art. For a long time I was convinced this was a crappy art house film with a big message but with a bit of reading I can see I was wrong. This looks to be a comedy of the actually funny variety and stars one of our favourite actresses, Catherine Keener. Go see it, don’t let the bad publicity attempts put you off.

Wild Target
I’ve heard from trusted sources, they like Scott Pilgrim, that this film is OK and nothing more. What I can tell you besides that is that this is a British comedy filled with British actors presumably being very British. A hitman tries to retire but a beautiful thief may change his plans. I guess she succeeds or we’d have no film.

Ajami (limited release)
An Oscar nominated Israeli film following five stories acted out by non-professional actors. Something I really should see but likely won’t. Bad me.

Hierro (limited release)
A Spanish horror about a woman who’s sun goes missing. Go see it or wait two years for an American adaptation I am oh so cynically predicting.

Wild Grass (limited release)
A French comedy about a missing wallet… or something. I like French comedies, who’s going to take me?

Toyz Noize

Do you remember when Up was released we got the wonderful Upular, a song made up completely of sounds from Up?

Well the wonder that is Pogo, aka YouTuber Fagottron, has done the same for Toy Story and it’s a great way to get excited about the third film in this truly awesome series. Watch and listen below, it’ll make your heart smile.

Killers Gives Thorpe Park Vouchers!

Do you want a 2 for 1 voucher for Thorpe Park or London Dungeon?

Well the new film Killers out this Friday would like to give you some. All you have to do is follow this link to our friends over at First4Movies and follow the instructions there. The vouchers are completely free, so long as you don’t mind seeing a few second of the trailer for Killers.

Killers is released this Friday and… well, we’ll talk about it then.

Somewhere – Trailer

Sweeping by me unnoticed yesterday was the new trailer and poster for Somewhere the latest film from a personal favourite of mine Sofia Coppola. The film stars Stephen Dorff as an actor staying in a hotel forced to examine his life when his daughter, Elle Fanning, come for a surprise visit. The comparisons to Lost in Translation as so easy I won’t bother and it’s amazing Coppola dared to do it. Though, as I’ve said before, comparisons to good things is not necessarily bad.

The trailer below sets the tone of the film and the poster behind the cut, well that just looks nice!

Christopher Nolan is Wise

Ignoring for a moment Memento, The Dark Knight and Inception, (and the rather unflattering photo just above) Christopher Nolan is still a wonderful man. Why? Because he’s “not a huge fan of 3D.”

I will now let Nolan explain as i copy directly from the LA Times: “The truth is, I think it’s a misnomer to call it 3-D versus 2-D. The whole point of cinematic imagery is it’s three-dimensional. … You know, 95% of our depth cues come from occlusion, resolution, color and so forth, so the idea of calling a 2-D movie a ‘2-D movie’ is a little misleading.”

Nolan goes on to explain that 3D films are less bright and that 2D films are by no means “flat”. I agree wholeheartedly and can’t think of any of my favourite films that I find lack depth in any of their frames. And as far as Nolan’s work goes Inception looks to have plenty of amazing imagery that looks amazing in 2D even on my laptop screen.

Wasn’t He Good?

Speaking of good TV wasn’t Doctor Who great this weekend? Maybe The Lodger wasn’t the scariest episode ever but it was really enjoyable. The back and forth between James Corden and Matt Smith was hilarious, sorry Corden haters, and the man upstairs suitably creepy. Shame that Karen Gillan was kept so far from The Doctor this week as I do enjoy their chemistry too.

The two part finale looks all kinds of epic so expect me back here in two weeks having a bit of a gush or, if things go badly, a rant.

Boardwalk Empire

Want to know what show everyone is going to be talking about later on this year? Then watch this preview for Boardwalk Empire a new show on HBO starring Steve Buscemi and directed by Martin Scorsese. This looks like it will be good TV in the same way The Sopranos was when it ruled not so long ago. Watch and judge for yourself…