In this edition of Trailer Trash MASH we a have long-awaited horror/sci-fi/comedy and an under-the-radar sci-fi/action/thriller. Man, movie genre categorization has become particularly granular over the last decade, huh? Anyway, let’s start with the former, shall we? Joss Whedon is currently in the midst of post-production on next year’s The Avengers. Before he was tapped for the superhero blockbuster, Whedon had co-written and produced  The Cabin in The Woods. His writing partner and the film’s director is none other than Cloverfield and the upcoming Spielberg-helmed Robopocylpse scribe, Drew Goddard. With this duo, you know the film is gonna have some weird, bloody goodness. Check out the trailer after the break.

What’s nice about this trailer is it blatantly calls out that “you think you’ve seen this before.” Which is true, because the setup looks identical to other cabin-set, college horror bloodbaths (i.e. Cabin Fever). But instead of a flesh-eating virus, there is some truly weird shit going on here. We’ve got an apparent force field protecting a state-of-the-art underground complex (the sci-fi), swat teams, Jabbawockeez and zombie-esque bros with super strength (the horror!!). Ya, it looks nuts.

The film has some notibles to the cast, including a pre-Thor/Star Trek Chris Hemsworth, as well as veteran character actor Richard Jenkins (who I couldn’t spot; let me know if you did). Anyway, it looks like Whedon’s Avengers gig finally got the distribution delay back on track for this film, and we’re all in for a bloody good time. Check out the trailer below for The Cabin in the Woods, hitting theaters April 12, 2012.

Next up we have a space opera-esque action pic with ma’ main man Guy Pearce in. An actor who has been criminally underutilized – whether that’s his fault or his agent’s. Anyway, the movie is Lockout, and the trailer opens up in a pretty unique way; the first 20 or so seconds are Pearce (giving a very Brad Pitt-esque performance) while being interrogated (punched in the face) by everyone’s favorite Russian bad guy, Peter Stormare, until all hell breaks loos with a montage of space battles,  explosions, gun fights and Guy Pearce looking broodingly badass… ’nuff said, right?

If that didn’t sound like enough cred for you space geeks, Lockout is written by French action scribe Luc Besson, writer of one of my favorite sci-fi action films of all time, The Fifth Element. And although his work has been a tad atrocious as of late (i.e. From Paris With Love, Columbiana), here’s to hoping that he can re-ignite that creative flame from Element (*raises glass*). Check out the trailer for Lockout below, hitting theaters April 20, 2012.

[ via Yahoo!, Wired]

What Do You Think? Which one are you more excited for?

Should we just call Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Picture, Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay Oscar nominations right now? I mean, jeez. The trailer for Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar has dropped and it looks breathtakingly awesome. The film is of course a biopic on the life and times of J. Edgar Hoover, one of the most influential figures in American history; with his controversial rise to power as the founder of the F.B.I., in addition to well-known “rumors” of being gay. I look forward to anything Leo and Clint do, but this looks to be something truly special.

Not only do we have an Oscar-winning director behind the camera, but also an Oscar-winning screenwriter who penned the script in Dustin Lance Black, who took home the gold statue for Milk in 2009. The film also features a phenomenal supporting cast, including: Naomi Watts, Dame Judi Dench and Armie Hammer – who particularly seems to deliver a powerful performance. I simply cannot wait for this film.

Pretty amazing. J. Edgar hits theaters November 9, 2011.

[via First Showing]

What Do You Think? Discuss.

I’ve been preaching for over two years that JGL (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is on the verge of becoming a major superstar. He received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in 500 Days of Summer and landed a major role in Christopher Nolan’s Inception in 2010. He’s getting a lot of positive buzz for his forthcoming performance in 50/50, opening soon, and he’s currently filming The Dark Knight Rises. Dude’s on a roll. On top of all that, his next NYC bike messenger chase-thriller, Premium Rush, opens next year and the film’s first trailer has just dropped. And it looks pretty dece.

The film stars JGL a bike messenger in Manhattan, who, during a routine pick up, intercepts an envelope that attracts the interest of a dirty cop (Michael Shannon), who will stop at nothing to get the package back; intrigue and crazy-ass bike action ensues. Check out the trailer below.

Seems like a fun chase-thriller, right? Definitely some cliché and repetitive elements going on here, but that’s expected with this genre of film.  The one aspect that should give optimisim for movie-goers out there, aside from the involvment of JGL and the great Michael Shannon, is that this film is written and directed by David Koepp. For those who are unfamiliar with that name, this man has written screenplays for some of the successful action-adventure films of all-time, including: Jurassic Park 1 & 2, Spider-Man and Mission: Impossible. So I think we should reserve any skepticism until opening day.

Premium Rush opens in theaters on January 13, 2012.

[vis EW]

What Do You Think? Are you excited for Premium Rush?

For those that didn’t get the reference, “Bat country” is a line from one of my favorite movies that features the best performance of Johnny Depp’s career; that being his portrayal of legendary drug-fueled journalist Hunter S. Thompson in Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas back in 1998. So I am so ecstatic that Depp is returning to that character, at least a version of it, in the adaptation of Thompson’s memoir The Rum Diary – which chronicles Thompson’s boozefest shenanigans in Puerto Rico in the 1960′s while, of course, on assignment – told through his alter-ego “Paul Kemp.” Check out the trailer after the break.

The film is written and directed by Bruce Robinson, and features an awesome cast, including: Aaron Eckhart, Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi, and the stunningly gorgeous Amber Heard. Check out the trailer below.

It’s definitely got a much more upbeat, light-hearted, comedic vibe than Fear and Loathing. I mean, Fear and Loathing definitely had some hilarious moments. But depending on who you are, or what you’re on, it can also be utterly terrifying. And at least this is a “wacky, eccentric, bizarre” character choice by Depp that I can support; being that he’s not a CGI animial or dowsed in makeup. He’s also revisiting a character that he knows and loves. And fans of the man, the myth, the lengend Hunter S. Thompson, love just as much.

The Rum Diary hits theaters October 28th.

[via Film School Rejects]

What Do You Think? Discuss.

I’ve got nothing against Taylor Lautner as a person. I’m sure he’s a gentleman with good moral fiber. And my ‘distaste’ towards him mostly is unrelated with his participation in the Twilight films. I just find him to be an unconvincing, uninteresting actor. So when I see him receiving lead roles in CIA-spy action thrillers alongside the likes of Alfred Molina, SigourneyWeaver and Jason Isaacs at the ripe age of 19, irks me. Especially when there are many other actors in his age group that are leaps and bounds above Mr. Lautner in the ‘acting chops’ arena. But, what can ya do? Anyway, the second trailer for said CIA-spy action thriller Abduction, has just popped online and is available for your viewing pleasure after the break.

To re-cap, in the film, Lautner has been lied to/been living a lie his entire life at the behest of government suits for some elaborate reason involving national security. When he finds out he’s not who he thinks he is, Lautner hits the road witha gal pal to uncover the truth; high-speed chases, shootouts, and him taking his shirt off, ensue.

Looks to be some solid direction from director John Singleton, albeit an odd choice considering his previous body of work. Check out the trailer for Abduction below, opening September 23rd. Oh, and wait for the “…not if I find you first” line and I think you’ll agree with my sentiments above.

[via Slashfilm]

What Do You Think? Discuss.

We haven’t heard a peep out of Battleship over the past like six months. The last we heard was pretty much that it was shooting, cost an estimated $200M+, and is starring Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgård, Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker and Rihanna. Boy, they really went after the pure acting talent for the female roles. Too soon? Anyway, if you didn’t know, this movie is basically a concept adapted from Battleship…….the board game. At least we know the action could be something to look forward to as it’s in the capable hands of Mr. Peter Berg (Hancock, The Kingdom). However, everything else about this movie just reeks of poor quality (i.e. story, script, acting, etc.) Check out the trailer after the jump.

Watch for the brilliant dialogue exchange:

Liam Neeson: “Prepare to fire.”
Random Crew Member: “Sir, which weapons?”
Liam Neeson: “….all of them”

Lol. And of course it again needs to be stated that I’m sure the action will could end up being badass. Hell, it damn well better be after spending $200 million. But at this particular juncture, Battleship is far down my most-anticipated list.  Film opens May 18th, 2012.

[via MovieWeb]

What Do You Think? Are you excited for this?

What a breath of fresh air. After being bombarded with summer releases and trailers of CGI-laced superhero sci-fi epics, it’s nice to see a straight up thriller featuring an amazing cast and an awesome story – without all the 3D/IMAX bells and whistles. That’s exactly what we have here with the release of the first trailer for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (say that five times fast). It’s a spy thriller adapted from the acclaimed best-selling novel about paranoia, moles, mind-games and traitors within England’s MI6 during the 1970′s era of the Cold War. The film features quite possibly the top British actors working today: Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, and Gary Oldman. Check out the trailer after the jump.

The best thing about this trailer, besides the menacing stares of Gary Oldman that would make any man shiver, is the absolute badass music – which just evokes pure tension and paranoia as I watch people get killed and friends become enemies. TTSS is directed by Tomas Alfredson, the Swedish director behind the brilliant, original Let the Right One In.  Anyway, check out the very cool trailer for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy – opening November 18th, 2011.

[via UGO]

What Do You Think? Discuss.

This video has been making the interweb rounds over the past couple weeks, but it’s so awesome that I had to share it with you. It’s a fan trailer for a film called The Batman Complex. YouTuber themanbatman executes superb editing skills to craft a fake movie trailer about a man (Christian Bale) who thinks he’s Batman, caused by an idea being planted in his head; aka Inception. This severe psychological obsession leaves his mind and body on the brink of destruction.  To create this hypnotic and fascinating fan trailer, ‘themanbatman’ used various clips from Equilibrium, The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, The Machinist, Inception, The Prestige, Shutter Island and another movie I can’t quite put my finger on. Check it out after the break.

Man, I tell you, if only Hollywood was this creative and bold. Check out The Batman Complex below.

[via EW]

What Do You Think? Pretty damn awesome, huh? Discuss.

What a great day for Potter fans. The trailer for Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was released today by the good folks at Warner Bros. Let the countdown begin! Only 80 more days until we get to revel in the greatness that is HP and his last movie Deathly Hallows: Part 2. As you can imagine, I’m extremely excited, yet sad at the same time. Last time I wrote about HP, I dove into my feelings on the end of an era — this trailer only helps to solidify my sentiments. Check out the trailer after the break.

With out further ado…

Wow! First off, the slowed down HP theme is absolutely CREEPY, but in an awesome way. We get to see some clips from the Battle of Hogwarts which I can’t wait to see — this part is by far the best from any of the books. New heroes are born and old friends die. It is such an epic battle! Fans get their first look at the Hogwarts suits of armor preparing for battle. Oh man, I get goosebumps just thinking about this stuff. This whole half of the book is basically non-stop, complete and utter destruction, and as we can see from the attack on Hogwarts, we will not be disappointed.

There are a few things I wasn’t happy about though; mainly the “Lets finish this the way we started it… Together” as Harry throws himself and Voldemort over the rampart. Really? That’s just silly to me, but maybe it will fit in nicely with the movie itself. As most of you have already discovered, when watching any HP movie you really have to view them as a stand alone piece, away from the books or you’ll spend 2 hours of agony dissecting the two until you’ve left the theater disgusted with Warner Bros. (personal experiences multiple times). What’s with all the clips of Voldemort inside Hogwarts? Pretty sure he doesn’t set foot inside until he faces HP for the last time.

While it looks like they’ve added a lot of their own spin on it, I still think we will be given an ending that we can all be happy with. All I really have to say is that this is going to be freaking insane! I cannot wait. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 hits theaters July 15th. Make sure to go see it. I myself will be hitting up the midnight screening. All are welcome to join me!

Matthew’s Take On The Trailer:

Wow, what an incomprehensible mess. I know the story, and I can grasp parts of what I am seeing because of my familiarity with the books, but this trailer just jumps from scene to scene leaving the viewer with very little to take away from this besides confusion. Maybe that’s the point? We get it, there will be lots of action and the destruction of Hogwarts, but maybe you could tease us with a glimpse of an actual scene instead of trying to fit a snippet of each scene in the entire film into this first trailer. I felt like Michael Bay made this trailer with nothing but action and lighting fast cuts. The two parts where it really slows down both feature Harry and Voldemort… and both parts are constructed out of thin air. Voldemort and Harry falling off the castle… I have nothing to say about that, but as I write this I am shaking my head in disgust for a total lack of understanding as to what this part means.

The other fabricated part I am referring to is the Priori Incantatem like in Goblet of Fire. Why would the filmmakers do this? Anyone who knows Potter knows this doesn’t happen, almost ever, or simply, at the end of this story. Why would it? Voldemort has a totally different wand at the end of the film, and so does Harry. Remember Harry’s is broken, and Voldemort stole the Elder Wand from Dumbledore’s tomb — Priori Incantatem happens when two wands with the same core are forced to fight. I don’t get it, and if this is how the final battle ends, I already consider this movie a failure. Plus, look around the pair in that scene, where are all the onlookers? Harry breaking down Voldemort’s fallacies and understanding of magic is the best part in any of the books and one ridiculously satisfying finale. Without it, as I said earlier, this film will not succeed from my perspective.

I also was shocked to see the picture shown below. It looks like 1000 Death Eaters have assembled to take over the castle. Now, the book never says an exact number of attackers, but I can gurantee there were not 1000 Death Eaters all assailing Hogwarts. While this isn’t a big deal, when I saw it, I was like “WTF?” With those numbers, Hogwarts would stand no chance, and that is just the wizards. Don’t forget the trolls, spiders, etc.

Another piece of the trailer that concerns me, that I hope is done correctly in the film, is Voldemort condescendingly warning Harry and his companions as his message booms over Hogwarts after the battle has raged for hours. He tells Harry that no one else will have to die if Harry gives himself up. In this trailer, this warning seems to be whispered by the Dark Lord, and not announced for all to hear. Again, I hope this part isn’t changed either. Because this part of the book is entirely too bone chilling to not be done correctly. Check it… because this needs to be done right.

“I speak now, to Harry Potter, directly to you,”

“You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour.” Voldemort hissed.

Maybe part of my disdain is because I don’t think Ralph Fiennes matches the high pitched Volemort voice. You want to hear a really creepy Voldemort? You have to look into the audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale. Best Voldemort ever.

I have loved, and even been given goosebumps by past Potter trailers, but this one seems like it has no heart. It seems just like a summer blockbuster, a mindless action flick. Of course there is going to be a ton of action, and it should be resembled in the trailer, but how about some more story? But, this is just the first trailer, I am just saying it didn’t do anything for me except to make me dread the day when I see Part 2 and again am let down by yet another Potter film.

Obviously I come across as a Potter purist, which in most regards I am. But as I have said time and time again, I don’t want the books and movies to be the same. I just want the right stuff to be left in, the parts that are included to be mostly the same, and the longer parts to be aptly summarized. The past 3 movies have failed to correctly accomplish any of these tasks. The first four did it just fine. So here is to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows letting me down!

[via Slashfilm]

What do you think? What do you like/dislike about the first trailer for Part II?

In this edition of Trailer Trash MASH we have a fun-looking stoner/loser comedy and the second trailer of an anticipated comic-book prequel. The stoner/loser comedy is Our Idiot Brother, starring Paul Rudd as a well, a stoner/loser whose idiotic shenanigans include him being arrested for selling pot to a uniformed police officer, and the affect it has on his relationship with his family members. The comic-book trailer is the second, interational trailer for X-Men: First Class, which features a slew of new images and footage from the upcoming Marvel blockbuster. Check ‘em out after the break.

The trailer for Our Idiot Brother looks very heartfelt and entertaining. The always lovable Paul Rudd seems a perfect choice to portray a slacker with good intentions. The supporting cast is very solid as well, featuring: Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer, who play Rudd’s three sisters. Check out the trailer below. Our Idiot Brother hits theaters August 26th, 2011.

Next up we have the second, semi-full trailer for X-Men: First Class, directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass). It features the same setup as the first trailer, with ominous opening title cards that read “Before he was Professor X…” but then kicks into high gear with a montage of badass mutant fighting, action and special effects – as well as a couple new looks at Mr. Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw. I think this film is going to be an extreme in terms of quality; meaning it’s either going to be extremely good or extremely bad – I’m hoping for the latter. Check out the new international trailer for X-Men: First Class below, opening worldwide June 3rd, 2011.

[via First Showing, Slashfilm]

What Do You Think? Does Our Idiot Brother look like a good time? Does this new X-Men: First Class trailer have you pumped up?