Deep Thoughts About The Scream 4 Trailer

Things I am obsessed with: Scream. Things you should be obsessed with: Scream. Today's lesson rules!


Naturally, with a Scream obsession, comes an OH DEAR GOD CAN IT BE APRIL NOW BBZZZZZGZUIGH reaction to the upcoming fourth installment. So when the trailer hit the interwebs Thursday evening, I had to watch it. And analyze it. And marry it. Here are my deep thoughts.


First, stray observations!


With the horror genre being reinvented every decade, this means new Scream movies could come out every decade, pastiching whatever new method of scares we discover. Pastiches are better than parody, after all. In fact, I pretty much hate parody. Like, a lot. I'd be happy if no one ever made a Scary Movie Epic Movie Vampires Suck whatever the hell ever again.


Is that one character related to Cotton Weary? Cause he looks just like him You know who I mean because it looks just like him. Is it safe to assume that since Emma Roberts is related to one of our original characters, others will be as well? Like Cotton Weary Jr? If the fact that he is a spitting image of Liev Schreiber turns out to be pure coincidence, I will be very disappointed.


In this trailer, instead of Kristin Bell & Anna Paquin facing sure death, we get Alison Brie! Alison Brie's in this?! Who decided that?! I'm excited. Can you tell I'm excited?


David Arquette looks like he hasn't aged a day. My crush on Deputy Dewey is coming back. Oh god. I can feel it. It's happening.


But unless you are weird like I am and think David Arquette is adorbz, there's no male eye candy in this movie. Yet TONS of gorgeous women. Only expecting a male audience, much?


Now for some specific moments in the trailer. Follow along!


.52 - "He's trying to do Ghostface"


Because this this the fourth in the series, expect the movie to be meta meta meta. The trailer leads us to believe that the killer isn't a copycat of the original murders, but a copycat of first Stab movie, based on the original murders, which came out in the second Scream movie (hey now woah now!). So not only does everyone know how horror films work, they know how Stab movies work. They know who Ghostface is. Well. So when they pick up the phone and someone asks "What's your favorite scary movie?" rather than being afraid or even creeped out, their response is "omglol." Meta goodness OMNOM!


1.13 - "It's all over the Internet!"


Because, after all, it is 2011, expect technology to play a huge role. This is a meta meta meta satire slasher film set in the age of Facebook, Twitter and Texting. While such things may be over Dewey's head, the rest of the cast is mostly under the age of twenty-five. I'll be surprised if no one gets a text from Ghostface. Or at least makes a joke about getting a text from Ghostface. But Ghostface wouldn't be scary in text. Please don't text anyone, Ghostface.


1:47 - "Guaranteed third act main cast blood bath"


I suspected as much from the moment I heard "Scream 4", but expect a major character to bite it - Dewey, Gale or Sydney. I kind of hope they all make it out alive, but the Scream movies to tend to follow their own rules. Idea! Kill Gale so Dewey can go out with me.





1:57- Hayden Panettiere Shows Off Her Memorizing Techniques


One of the best things about the Scream movies are how they take place in a world where scary movies exist - it's partly what made the first one so groundbreaking and it's nice to be reminded of that fact. Seems like there will be plenty of references in this chapter, even if they are all in one breath. Hayden Panettiere listing off all the horror remakes literally just gave me goosebumps. I am a NERD. Also - which movie could he possibly be referring to?! What didn't she say?! OPEN, MOVIE, I NEED YOU.


I feel good. Scream makes me feel good. Is that weird? I don't care. I know where I'm gonna be at 12:01am on April 15th and that's all that matters. See full post

Bioshock: Infinite Gameplay Trailer HEEAAARRTTT

Things that are Bioshock related get entire posts, not just tumbles. Is that what tumblr posts are called? Tumbles? Whatever. Point is - BIOSHOCK: INFINITE. AHHHH. Wish it was coming out now instead of a whole effing year from now.

I'm dying to know how this game will tie into the mythology of the first two Bioshock outings. Obviously that tonic he drinks must have something to do with plasmids, right? Maybe we'll discover something a connection to Andrew Ryan somewhere? Or Dr. Lamb? Oh god, I can't wait I can't wait I can't wait. 

And ss if I couldn't love this trailer anymore than I already do, Elizabeth, voiced by my former classmate Natalie Kuhn, is not only in it but says *a lot*, showing off the awesome actress Natalie is. Notice how great she is with her voice? Multiply that by 100 and you have her talent on stage. She's GOOD, you guys. And happens to be voicing a main character in one of my all time favorite franchises. Fuckin cool. If Lone Star, Big Bang Theory, Community, The Event and the upcoming mid-season show Mixed Signals haven't convinced you yet - NYU breeds working actors like woah. So you should go there. If you want to do that. (Note: Natalie went to the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School at NYU. This is also where Eloise Mumford, Simon Helberg & Jason Ritter went. All of whom are in the tv shows I just mentioned. WIN.)

See full post

True Blood Preview - "Everything Is Broken"

True Blood clips for you from this Sunday's episode?

Sidenote: How fucking good is this show right now? Yes, so good it requires cursing. Holy sex scenes, Batman, you guys! I love this show.

Stay tuned - coming up very soon we will be giving away a True Blood gift bag from Comic-Con and a soundtrack of the score.

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Bioshock: Infinite To Be Released in 2012. PLEASE WORLD DON'T END SOS I CAN PLAY IT ALL!

UM. Do you guys EVEN UNDERSTAND??!?!?!!?!

Way to eclipse my excitement for Fable 3 and Portal 2 by ANNOUNCING A THIRD BIOSHOCK GAME ARE YOU EFFING ME?!!?!?

The third game is set in the 1910s in a Cloud City called Columbia. While there is no direct connection, story-wise, to the first two Bioshock games, there is a nod to them in the trailer, and what we all love most about Bioshock include the gameplay, the sensibility, the tone, and the genius story/storytelling, which ANY Bioshock game will have, regardless of where & when it takes place and a connection to that psycho, Andrew Ryan.

Here's the official synopsis,

BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter currently in development at Irrational Games, the studio behind the original BioShock (which sold over 4 million units worldwide). Set in 1912, BioShock Infinite introduces an entirely new narrative and gameplay experience that lifts players out of the familiar confines of Rapture and rockets them to Columbia, an immense city in the sky.

Former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt has been sent to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman imprisoned in Columbia since childhood. Booker develops a relationship with Elizabeth, augmenting his abilities with hers so the pair may escape from a city that is literally falling from the sky. DeWitt must learn to fight foes in high-speed Sky-Line battles, engage in combat both indoors and amongst the clouds, and harness the power of dozens of new weapons and abilities.

Drawing much more from Jules Verne than Ayn Rand, the trailer has a very steam punk vibe and is fucking gorgeous. And you hear that girl yelling? I went to NYU with her, she was the star student in our class and now she is DOING THE VOICE AND MO-CAP OF THE MAIN GIRL IN BIOSHOCK, which I happen to think is the coolest thing I've ever heard.

To hear more in depth details from those who got to witness the live demo (jealousy. OH THE JEALOUSY) head to Kotaku.

And if you haven't seen it yet, here's the trailer. 2012 come now plz.

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Canada Wants You To Kill Shakespeare [New Comic Alert!]

At Wondercon this year, Eruditechick had the chance to chat with the creators & artist of Kill Shakespeare, a 12 part series from IDW, beginning its run this month.

An epic adventure that will change the way you look at Shakespeare forever.

In this dark tale, the Bard’s most famous heroes embark upon a journey to discover a long-lost soul. Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Falstaff, Romeo and Puck search for a reclusive wizard who may have the ability to assist them in their battle against the evil forces led by the villains Richard III, Lady Macbeth and Iago. That reclusive wizard? William Shakespeare.

A combination of “Fables”, “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” and “Lord of the Rings”, Kill Shakespeare offers a remixed re-envisioning of the greatest characters of all-time, featuring action, romance, comedy, lust, drama and bloody violence. It is an adventure of Shakespearean proportions.

Sounds pretty cool, right? We're a bunch of Shakespeare geeks over here (and you should be too!) so the very idea of this series is pretty exciting. Though the first issue is mostly just setting everything up (cause...it's the first issue) it still features a recap of Hamlet in comic form (which is simply badass), is filled with beautiful art and gives a good taste of the coolness to come. Check out the trailer below, followed by Eruditechick's interview with the delightful trio behind Kill Shakespeare, creators Connor McCreery & Anthony Del Col and artist Andy Belanger. Get ready to enjoy some adorable Canadian accents & Shakespeare geekery.

Trailer

Interview with Connor McCreery, Anthony Del Col and Andy Belanger

:18 Where did the idea for Kill Shakespeare come from?
2:16 How long did it take to get the project off the ground?
2:43 Anthony explains how Shakespeare geek he is
3:07 Have you ever performed Shakespeare? And then Anthony does.
3:33 Andy talks about the artwork
4:42 Which Shakespearean character do you most identify with? Let the sparring begin!
6:08 Connor on Hamlet - interesting stuff if you're a fan of the play (WHICH I AM PS)

For more on Kill Shakespeare, clickity here See full post

IN WHICH SCOTT PILGRIM BLASTS YOUR FACE OFF

AHHHHHHH IT'S A SCOTT PILGRIM TRAILER! FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY!!

I know this has been posted everywhere already, but you bet your ass I'm posting it here because HELLO HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN WAITING FOR THIS HELLOOOOOOOOOO.

I've read all 5 existing books and plan on re-reading ZEM ALL because they're amazing and the trailer looks just like the comic but with color and Edgar Wright is so perfect ZOMG and I can't wait for the next trailer where we see solid shots of Aubrey Plaza and more Ash Fox & Superman and Comeau (pretty please) and Knives Chau and Wallace and where's Kim and OMG the possibilities. RAHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I've never thought Michael Cera was very good casting, but this trailer is kind of convincing me otherwise and Mary Elizabeth Winstead looks just like Ramona and omg I hope they go to sub-space I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND. Read the books, I hate you. TRAILER - GO!

[UGO] See full post

A Trailer For Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever

From our pals (literally. from college.) over at BriTANicK

You must watch the genius. Love these guys.

A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever -- powered by Cracked.com

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Why Is 6 Afraid of 7?

You've all heard that old joke right? Well here is a trailer for the film 789. I mean, it's not for a real film...I'm pretty sure...but the trailer is spot on & hilarious. I found out about it because someone I went to high school with (who actually happens to be very cool!) composed the score. Enjoy!

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In Celebration of a New Pandorum Poster...[Interviewzes!]

In celebration of this creepy new Pandorum poster (above), we're finally posting our interviews with three of the Pandorum cast members from Wondercon. They were all a delight, especially Mr. Foster, cause he is so squee-worthy. Nommm, Ben Foster. You know, the more I learn about this movie, the more excited I get. Before we get into the interviews, here's the trailer,

And now, the interviews,

Cung Lee is soft-spoken, smiling, and extremely compact. He comes across as a very mellow, laid back, and not necessarily capable of killing you with his bare hands. But he can. Cung Lee is not just a martial artist, but is in fact a martial arts champion, with three US Open Int’l Championships, 4 US National Championships and is the current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. Legitimately. Can kill you with his bare hands. He plays Agricultural Specialist Manh in the upcoming space thriller Pandorum.

EC: So, your character is an agricultural scientist who is also a martial arts master. Is there something in your character’s background that explains why you’re totally badass?

Cung: I think the reason my character is a badass in this movie is basically, when you wake up, and you don’t know where you are and you’ve been surviving for a while, you have to learn how.

EC: Because your character’s been up the longest.

Cung: I’ve been up very long. There’s been other members who’ve been awake longer, but for my character- being an Agricultural Specialist, I must have grown up with martial arts but I also have a nine to five job, and it’s a big job, which is why I’m on this massive ship. Being around the block, staying alive until the moment I get introduced, means that I have some experience, whether it’s kickin’ ass or staying alive or just doing what I do.

EC: Martial Arts exists as its own genre of film, but had it ever been an aspiration of yours to bring martial arts into another genre such as SciFi or fantasy, or something not so strictly based in reality?

Cung: For me, I know martial arts can only take you so far. There’s a lot of martial artists out there, but there’s not that many champions, so I think I have a unique opportunity to position myself in different movies, because of course there’s so many martial arts movies out there but for me, I like to be a little more well versed than just being a martial artist. Doing a movie like this, you need some acting chops. I’ve been working on my acting for a long time, now. When I started getting really popular in martial arts, I was offered a lot of different scripts and small roles. And I figured I better take some acting lessons- and this all started back in 1998- I was off and on with acting until the right projects came along, and here I am today with like, Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid, who are like really cool guys and awesome actors.

EC: Awesome. Was there anything you were really geeky about, as a kid?

Ben: Don’t blow it, Cung.

Cung: It’s always been Bruce Lee. Enter the Dragon.

EC: Clearly.

Antje Traue & Ben Foster after the jump!

Antje Traue is a relative unknown in the States, coming from a theatrical background in Europe (singing! Dancing! Touring!), who is wearing some extremely amazing boots. As it happens, so am I.

Antje: I love your boots.

EC: Oh my God, I love your boots.

Yes, this happens. We proceed to talk about the procurement of our footwear.

Antje: I got them in Melrose, in LA. I was just walking around, I had one day off, and I found them in this market. And usually I don’t buy shoes second hand, because they don’t fit right, but these were just- mine.

EC: And no one else will have them. I saw someone else wearing [mine] in black, and I was like… nooo, my boots…

Antje: I know this feeling.

EC: So was your filming as dependent on CGI as most modern SCiFi seems to be, or were you working with a lot of practical sets?

Antje: You know, we had green screen, of course, but the sets were really remarkable. We had a great team working on the sets- it was just scary, you know, because you walk in these huge halls… We shot in Berlin, in Babelsburg [Studios], and we have these three huge halls and they have the whole spaceship in it. You read the script, and you think “This is interesting”, this and that- and then you come in and it becomes real. They did a great job, it was really fun to act in those sets.

EC: So your character’s a scientist.

Antje: Yes.

EC: Are there any other primary female characters?

Antje: No. I’m by myself in the movie, with all the men, you know? And I took the experience for my character, because she wakes up in this space ship- no food, nothing to drink, no one has survived except her, so it’s about loneliness, right? It’s dark, the ship is dying, so there’s no light. So this is what Pandorum confronts you with, are your primal fears. And then she has to learn really fast to fight for her life, because in every corner there’s something that wants to kill you. It was a special time for me to go and be this character, because it’s about going back to your instincts, to your really pure instincts.

We oggle at Cung’s muscles.

Antje: You know what, when you meet him- I mean you met him- he’s such a nice guy and you think what? This guy is breaking arms, and legs, there’s no way. And then he gives you a hug- and you feel it.

EC: Was there anything geeky or scifi when you were younger that you loved?

Antje: Actually I had my first kiss during Alien.

EC: …I’m trying to think of an appropriate moment for that-

Antje: It’s really just- I know! He was just so cute, and I said well, let’s go to the cinema and he said let’s go to Alien! And I was like… well, all right!

Ah, geek memories.

Ben Foster is Ben Foster. He is particularly Fosterish this day. He does not, in real life, have wings. Before he sits down to chat, he takes a picture with Cung, in which he makes sure his smokes aren’t peeking out of his pocket, since this is going in a martial arts magazine. What a conscientious young man!

EC: So you’re kinda rocking out the genre movies. X-Men, 3:10 to Yuma, Pandorum- is there something about making genre pictures that draws you, in particular?

Ben: No, it’s whatever shows up, there’s no real master plan. What shows up, who’s involved, does it feel like something I’ve already done? So, you know. I like movies, so getting to play in different corners is exciting.

EC: So after the X-Men- did the wings-

Ben: Wore feathers.

EC: So, being in these movies, attending conventions and coming into contact with fans, how have you found that experience?

Ben: The example that makes the most sense is if you make a chair, and somebody says “I like your chair”, that’s gotta feel good. Someone says, “Your chair is interesting… I don’t know if I like it.”, that’s fair game. Someone says “I hate your fucking chair”, that’s fair too. So, it’s nice anybody goes and sees movies, it’s surprising when something comes out. And not because of an industry thing, but because making them is so intimate. So, yeah, it’s a total laugh to be here.

EC: Anything you were geeky about as a kid?

Ben: Nah, just- good old fashioned night terrors.

At this time, we are unsure of whether or not this is in fact a reference to 1993’s Night Terrors starring Robert Englund, but… probably not.

Pandorum opens September 4th, 2009
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Not Your Average Creepy Kid Movie? [Starfest/Fangoria]

Orphan director Jaume Collet-Serra

The only overlap in programming from my whirlwind weekend of conventions was the summer horror film, Orphan. While I'd seen the trailer before, and it's plenty creepy, I wasn't really planning on seeing the film when it opened until I saw its panels with director Jaume Collet-Serra and today, writer David Johnson.

Both panels, one at Starfest, one at Fangoria Weekend of Horrors, featured a really creepy clip that involved Esther, the titular Orphan, smashing a pigeon with a brick. Both times the clip showed, the convention crowds seemed to go from sort of interested to VERY interested in the film, which is exactly how I felt. Doesn't hurt that the unassuming Collet-Serra was so oddly charming & funny on stage. Another big thing that's piqued my interest in the film was the way Collet-Sera talked about the actors - how great they are, what made them sign on, what got them cast, etc. I loves me some good actors.

In case you haven't seen it, here's the official Orphan trailer,

Here's what we learned from the panels,

- According to Collet-Serra, this isn't your every day creepy-kid film. "This one is different...you'll be very surprised." It was more inspired by the "enemy inside your own home" aspect, less the "creepy little kid movie" genre.

- Specific inspiration - Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt

- A 10 page treatment was brought to Johnson and he was asked how he'd end it. He couldn't say what his response was, but it got him the screenwriter position!

- The film focuses a lot on the psychological and has a lot of thriller in it, not just horror

- The deaf-mute little sister is played by Aryana Engineer, who is deaf-mute herself. It was important to Collet-Serra that a deaf-mute play the character and he fought for Enginner in particular to get the role. She brought a specific innocence and gave a very real performance in the audition. (Sidenote: Where was Collet-Serra at Wondercon?? There was a big group of deaf con-goers who were asking about using the deaf in film and would the filmmakers consider it, etc. Would have been interesting to see their interaction with a director who actually fought for a deaf-mute over an actor playing a deaf mute.)

- Jimmy Bennett, the little boy in Orphan, also plays young Captain Kirk in Star Trek!

- Collet-Serra's favorite directors are Hitchcock & Polanski

- To Collet-Serra, making horror films is "like a food fight...really playful, fun."

- Someone asked what the most disturbing thing is Collet-Serra ever shot and would he be topping it? His response: "It's in this movie...cannot tell you what it is. [It took] lots of rehearsal. I don't know if I can top it, it's pretty bad."

- Great script is what brought Collet-Serra & the actors on board. Main character (played by Vera Farmiga) really spoke to Collet-Serra, thought he could do something great with it.

- Once Vera signed on, the rest of the cast fell into place.

- Isabelle Fuhrman, who plays Esther, brought such a great intensity to her audition, while staying totally natural yet spooky, she blew the rest of the competition way. Esther was originally supposed to have blond & curly hair, but they altered their vision of the character so they could cast Fuhrman.

- The role of Sister Abigail was specifically written for actress CCH Pounder.

- His dream project is "The Alchemist", but would be thrilled to bring any great Spanish property to life

For more photos from Starfest's Orphan panel, click here. See full post

For david [Silly Fun or EPIC AWESOMENESS]

Just for you, david! And maybe me a little bit. But only maybe. Cause Craig's back! Oh crap, I've revealed my love for Degrassi. Oh god, I just reaffirmed it! Okay, but you know what, I stopped watching two seasons ago cause they got rid of the old people and now only feature n00bs. Spelled exactly like that.

No hating on Canadian soap operas wise coming of age stories allowed in this forum.



Doesn't Kevin Smith loving Degrassi get me a pass? No? Damnit. See full post

Watchmen Doing It Right

By now I'm sure all of you have seen the new Japanese Watchmen trailer, as well as the featurette focusing on the Minutemen. Just wanted to throw my two cents in real quick. But first, in case you haven't seen it, the trailer.



Now, as some of you may know, I saw 25 minutes of Watchmen a couple months ago. It was absolutely beautiful. I saw the Comedian's death, the opening credits (history of the Minutemen/Crimebusters through live action, moving dioramas, set to Dylan's "The Times, They Are A Changin'"), Silk Spectre & Nite Owl breaking Rorschach out of prison & basically all of the Dr. Manhattan focused issue, with him on Mars, reliving his life. It was all gorgeous and I pretty much cried the whole time, but the ONE thing that made me go "Hrm. We'll have to see about that one" was Nixon.

This Nixon is slightly older - he is going into his 3rd term, so that's to be expected - but to see someone in full Nixon makeup, who is clearly not Nixon, is a little jarring at first. It's not like Frank Langella, a brilliant actor playing Nixon - it's a dude in Nixon face. Not sure if I'm explaining the distinction well, but there's a big difference between someone playing Nixon and someone doing Nixon. Granted, seeing him is better than only hearing his voice a la Recount, but it's still odd. It took me a moment to get used to the cartoonish face and realize that an exaggerated older Nixon is just a part of Watchmen's reality. But it made me nervous. Would it pull people out of the movie early on? Would it elicit laughter? Would it be the thing that everyone jumped to as the "Would have been great except..." element?

Luckily this Japanese trailer has come around, featuring snippets of Nixon's face and voice and I think this is a GREAT move. Getting the audience used to it now can only help in the end, making the reveal less jarring in the actual film. I hope.

How do you feel about Nixon make up? Care? Don't care?

And if you haven't checked it out already, be sure to head over to Apple for the HD featurette about the Minutemen.


See full post

New Battlestar Promos & Webisode 3 [SO SOON!}

Three new promos for season 4.5 of Battlestar Galactica have been released, each featuring a question that will be answered during the final ten episodes.



How did Starbuck come back?


What really happened to Earth?


Who is the final cylon?

And click here to check out episode 3 of Face of the Enemy. This week we find out how Gaeta and that number eight know each other and we are again reminded why this show is the best. See full post

Wolverine Trailer in HD

Missed the surprise Wolverine trailer (and appearance by Hugh Jackman) at Comic Con 08? Well now, the footage is featured in HD on Myspace for your enjoyment. It premiered with The Day Earth Stood Still this weekend - which by the way, I'd love to hear your opinion on, if you've seen it - and is now posted below.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD


And for fun, here is Hugh Jackman after shaking hands with Wolverine creator Len Wein @ Comic Con 08






See full post

Watchmen & Terminator Video Game Trailers Premiere

Terminator: Salvation


Watchmen: The End is Nigh

Badass. I don't care what anyone says, I wanna beat people up as Rorschach and now I can! Must needs Xbox 360 of my own ASAP. See full post

Batman: Arkham Asylum Still Looks Badass [WANT]

New trailer alert!!!

Consider this an addendum to my previous post on the badassness that will be Batman: Arkham Asylum.



Can't. Wait. See full post

The Day The Earth Stood Still [Hmmmm]

Saw The Day The Earth Stood Still last night. My thoughts still aren't fully formulated, but I wanted to get something down.



Original Trailer


New Trailer

Let me begin by saying this isn't a bad movie. It's not horrible, not laughable, not the blight in the history of science fiction film that so many of us, especially fans of the original, were expecting. In fact, the first two thirds of it are actually pretty good. The film is enjoyable & interesting and comes frustratingly close to pulling off the impossible (properly modernizing a classic) but in the end, it just falls short.

***Minor Spoiler Alert***

What does this "remake" (I prefer reimagining in this case) have in common with the original? There is a woman, there is a boy, there is a (sort of) robot & there is an alien. Alien & Robot land on Earth. Robot reacts immediately to violence with retaliatory violence. Alien is taken away by government for questioning. Alien escapes. Alien represents the universe & has a message for the Earth...sort of. Woman & Boy end up knowing Alien better than any other human knows him. There is a Dr. Barnhardt that speaks with Alien. Alien leaves planet at end of film.

And that's it. May seem like a lot...but let me tell you...it isn't. There are some nice homages to the original that made me smile (you'll know them when you see 'em) but overall it was very much a different film that might have definitely would have made more sense had it been approached as a sequel rather than a remake. But if we get into the ridiculousness surrounding unecessary remake versus appropriate sequel we'll be here all day. Let me just point out that the original ends with Klaatu SAYING HE WILL COME BACK AND EFF US IF WE DON'T CLEAN UP OUR ACT (but in that charming classically trained British actor way) and oh hey, look at that, we're still blowing each other up. A sequel set in real time, 57 years later would have been amazing. Muh. Anyway.

There are a lot of big changes. Besides what we all could have predicted - get to know fleshed out Woman & Boy early on, Klaatu sort of has powers, bigger fx, a more destructive Gort - the film goes further than the obvious. The big changes are Klaatu's reason for being here, why he looks human, a certain huge decision he makes that only he can undo and the state of the Earth when he leaves.




***BIG SPOILER ALERT***



(To elaborate, Woman isn't a secretary. She's a scientist. And she doesn't have a swell gentleman caller. She has a dead husband & a stepson who likes to give her a hard time, but really, he loves her. Hrmm. Klaatu controls electric currents. That way he can fuck shit up AND un-fuck shit up. Plus Gort can dissolve into rapidly multiplying silver bugs that destroy everything they touch. Klaatu came to Earth because humans are destroying it and if they can never change (which he deduces they can't), they must be wiped out. Process to wipe them out begins. He sees Woman & Boy hugging & crying and realizes humans aren't all bad and wants to save them. Unfortunately there is a cost. He stops the death of all people by...doing something involving his spaceship. All electricity stops as he leaves. Humans are left to start over again. We think. It's unclear.)



***END OF BIG SPOILERS***



***Minor Spoiler Alert. Again.***


Overall, the new ideas introduced are pretty cool and the updates to the classic material works. Where the film fails is the last third or so. All of a sudden it starts going in a direction that just doesn't make sense. The big disappointment for me was WHY CANT HE STOP GORT BY SAYING KLAATU BARADA NIKTO (even though I could have SWORN I heard him say it at the beginning) ???? And why that one random rushed death? And why did it remain a death when the alien next to you can bring people back to life with his electrical current power? WHY NOT stick to the original structure? Was the ending not Hollywood enough? I thought the ending to the original was perfect. Relevant, harrowing, horrifying, and an important warning - it had so much of an impact because Klaatu's reason for being there isn't revealed until the very end. In this film, that is scratched for a big exercise in fx, followed immediately an ending so abrupt and anticlimactic, that the audience is left utterly unsatisfied and with A LOT of questions.

As for the performances - the casting was pretty right on. Half the time Jennifer Connolly was on screen I was just plain in awe of her. Terrific actress and mindbogglingly gorgeous. Are we sure she's real? Jayden Smith can cry on cue and is pretty cute, so I'll let that one slide. Jon Hamm is a perfect human being. John Cleese, though only in one scene, was an inspired choice for Barnhardt. And Keanu. At first I was unsettled by this choice in casting as Michael Rennie was so charming & delightful in his icy, unearthly ways. Keanu's Klaatu (band name anyone? maybe? no? okay.) is cold & kinda hostile, more or less the stark opposite of Rennie's take. But considering how this film differs from the original, it works. He speaks in non emotional, Vulcan-like tones (I've been watching Trek: TOS lately to educate myself), making sure to hit every word carefully. The easiest acting role of all time? Maybe. But easy looks good on Keanu.

This film ends up being mostly about the beauty of humanity and how we are worth it, despite all our flaws. And you know, it could have been so powerful. This film COULD have been beautiful and it frustrates me all the more because it came so close, only to give up two thirds of the way through...and here and there before the final third, but we won't get into that now.

All I can say is please go see it so we can talk about it, both what we liked and what made us crazy. Still having trouble figuring out how I feel about it all and would love to hear some opinions!

UPDATE:

Found an article on the changes made for the remake here. Pretty illuminating stuff actually. Here's the bit about Klaatu Barada Nikto

One crucial element that made the 57-year jump from the 1951 version to the 2008 remake was the iconic line “Klatuu Barad Nikto” - the alien command that prevents the unstoppable robot Gort from unleashing destruction upon Earth. Actor Reeves stated that he was surprised not to find that line in the script when he first read it, but he and the director ensured that it made it into the final film (although it’s during a loud scene where some viewers may miss it). To enhance the impact, several techniques were used, including having Reeves memorize and pronounce the words backwards, which were then reversed to put them in the right order. The final mix overlays this upon double-reverse upon a take of Reeves reading the line in the usual order. (UPDATE: Although the line is in the film, it is buried in the mix beneath a ton of sound effects: to a casual viewer it may be apparent that the alien Klatuu is speaking in his native language to Gort; only fans will recognize, just barely, the specific words.)

So I did hear it mixed in at the beginning! Listen for yourself after Klaatu first gets off the ship & had to stop Gort. Though still doesn't explain why he can't say it later to stop Gort... See full post

Let The Right One In [Good Movie Alert!]

Wow.

Finally saw Let The Right One In and can't get it off my mind. Especially after this past couple months - watching every episode of True Blood, reading & seeing Twilight and approaching the end of New Moon, this film has a very particular resonance. It really takes the question of "What if vampires were real and you fell in love with one?" and answers it with quiet, beautiful & terrifying honesty. If such a scenario were possible, anyone involved would be facing the harsh reality of a difficult, disturbing and often disgusting life. It would only take the open hearted innocence of a child to be aware of this possibility, but move forward anyway. Understanding this immediately separates Let The Right One In from its predecessors. Its protagonist, Oskar, is of an age where he can perceive the difference between right and wrong, but isn't in a place yet where the magnitude or consequences of any given act can really sink in or seem tangible. He meets a girl who is smart, pretty enough and most importantly, pays attention to him - gives him the respect he can't find anywhere else in his life. So she is a vampire too - what does that matter? What should be a grave thought to an adult or even a teenager is lost on a twelve year old.





***Spoiler Alert***





The real world ramifications demonstrated in this film are beyond harrowing. There is no synthetic blood, no hunting animals for these vampires. There is only the thirst for honest to god human blood that must be quenched somehow. In the case of Eli, the indeterminately aged woman trapped in the body of a 12 year old, she has Hakan, an older man posing as her father, go out, slit someone's throat, drain him of all his blood and bring it back for Eli to drink. Eventually we come to realize, though it's never spelled out or made perfectly clear, that this man is in love with Eli himself. According to the book, he is a pedophile who believes his love for Eli is pure and perfect since she will always be young. This is downplayed in the film so as not to distract from the main storyline, but with Hakan's painful request that Eli not see Oskar for just one night, we understand their relationship. This man is an outcast who will sacrifice anything for Eli and eventually does, in one of the more horrifying sequences on film this year.

Another consequence of having a vampire fall in love you? Should anyone fuck with you, they will die. They will die horrible horrible deaths. That is just the reality of the situation. No matter how far away the vamp is, she will come to you. None of this talk to you in your head then go to Italy to commit suicide stuff coughnewmooncough, but straight up, rush to your side, pull the heads off some mean 12 year olds and save your life like a blood soaked angel. And don't tell me that isn't the image that entered your head in that moment, cause I won't believe you. What I found especially beautiful about the ending swimming pool scene was the careful build, the tension that ran throughout as we thought that Oskar was actually about to die. Then just as we remember Eli's promise to him that if he didn't hit the bullies back, she would, the film's exceptional sound design begins to bring her back to us, our confirmation in the form of a severed head tossed into the pool.

I also couldn't help but appreciate the fact that once Oskar witnessed Eli unable to control herself when his blood was spilled (more likely the true reaction a vampire would have, Bill & Edward....) he came to the natural conclusion that she must be a vampire. Clearly they exist in real world environment, where everyone knows what a vampire is from the numerous books and movies on the subject. To Oskar, who we are to understand has been suspecting the existence of vampires for a while, it is clear what she is. To the adults in the story, it isn't so obvious. They don't have the openness, the willingness, the imagination of a child, and therefore despite all the clear signs, they view it as an "infection" more so than jumping to the immediate conclusion of, oh, vampires, duh. It is only in the final moments of a bitten adult woman's life that she realizes what she may be and asks for the hospital curtains to be opened as a way to reach death and the end of her new found suffering.

By the way, while some say Eli is manipulating Oskar the whole time in the hopes of turning him into the next Hakan, I am of the belief that she genuinely cares for Oskar. The vampires in this world maintain the mental age of when they were bitten, not just the physical age, and I like to think Oskar is her first love. If he does become her next way of getting blood (which I believe he is too humane to do anyway - he isn't a killer) it won't be because Eli had that intention from the beginning. It makes it all the more heartbreaking to think that soon, whether Oskar likes it or not, he may be considered a pedophile, an outcast himself - facing the real world reality of what happens when you fall in love with someone who never ages.

And if you're wondering about that genitalia shot, check out Moriarty's interview with Alfredson over on Aint It Cool. Very strange stuff that I definitely did not get from a first viewing.





***End of Spoilers***





I can't recommend this film enough, especially for vampire fans who, you know, are having a pretty great year. It's both horrifying and sweet, disturbing and romantic and really points out the possibilities completely overlooked by the Twilight series and most other tales dealing with the forbidden love between a vampire and human. And though I don't know much about the technicalities of filmmaking, Tomas Alfredson nails it for me. It was beautifully shot and edited, resulting in a slow steady tension that most modern day horror films WISH they could pull off. And I can't remember the last time I was so affected by a film's sound design. Not to mention, the audience is hit over the head with nothing. Most of the vampire rules are in place, but we see them in action, rather than have them explained to us. The film trusts that we as an audience know enough about vampire lore to understand why events unfold the way they do. Everything is in the details, the nuance. Instead of ever learning just how old Eli is (in the movie - the book makes it clear), we are left to postulate for ourselves based on her clothes, the music she listens to, and the objects she collects. And what happens to her face when...well you'll see for yourself.

I could go on, about how the film brilliantly uses what we DON'T see as a storytelling tool and how it shows that vampires wouldn't be glamorous, but rather kind of gross and always reeking of blood, but we don't want to be here all day. If you want to see a true Vampire film, put Let The Right One In at the top of your list. And please, if you have any thoughts on the film, post below!


Trailer for Let The Right One In See full post

First Actual Battlestar Season 4.5 Promo

Returning January 16th FINALLY



If you wanna be all caught up by then, Season 4 comes out on dvd ten days earlier, on Jan 6th. Watch one episode a day, and you're set!

Oh god, but if you aren't caught up, please don't watch this or any other promo.

So say we all.

[Sci Fi] See full post

Batman: Arkham Asylum Will Be Badass [WANT]

I've come to realize I have a lot of wants. Good thing it's almost the holidays! If anyone has $15,000 laying around, you know what to get me.

Today's object of desire is slightly more attainable than the aforementioned antique death kit. It's Batman: Arkham Asylum, a video game for Xbox 360, PS3 & Windows, arriving in 2009. The trailer was released today and even though it's just a tour of Arkham Asylum, for lack of a better description, that doesn't mean it isn't totally badass and I don't want it right this moment.

Wondering what the game's all about? Press release below:

In Batman: Arkham Asylum, developed by Rocksteady Studios, the player assumes the role of Batman as he delivers The Joker to Arkham Asylum. There, the imprisoned super-villains have set a trap and an immersive combat gaming experience unfolds. With an original script penned by Emmy Award-winning Batman writer Paul Dini, the game brings the universe of DC Comics’ detective to life with stunning graphics.

“In Batman: Arkham Asylum Eidos and Warner Bros. are building a true action adventure game experience worthy of gamers and fans,” said Phil Rogers, CEO of Eidos Interactive. “Players become Batman, like he has never been seen before in a video game, as he fights through intense circumstances in Arkham Asylum utilizing his intuitive detective skills and aggressive melee attacks.”

“Batman: Arkham Asylum offers players the chance to battle Gotham’s worst villains with Batman’s physical and psychological strength in a graphically distinct and story-driven game,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We look forward to working with Eidos on expanding DC Comics’ world-renowned character Batman in the game space with a noticeably different feature set in an incredibly dark interactive environment.”

PAUL DINI?! DETECTIVE SKILLS?! STORY DRIVEN, REALISTIC BATMAN GAME FEATURING ALL THE VILLAINS?! YES PLEASE!

By the way, if for some reason you have no idea who Paul Dini is, get ready - he won five writing Emmys for Tiny Toons, Batman: The Animated Series & Batman Beyond and two WGA awards, one for Animated Writing and one for his work on the LOST writing staff. Oh not to mention his three Annies, seven Eisners and three Harveys. Why do I personally think he rules the land of Awesome? He created Harley Quinn. And I effing love Harley Quinn.

And now, the trailer.




All I have to do now is get a gaming platform released later than 2001 and I'm all set...

[The Feed] See full post