Trailer Trash Thursday

In a contrast from last week, which saw almost no new trailers that I actually had any interest in whatsoever, there are multiple new previews out this week that have piqued my interest.  First off, probably the most noteworthy trailer of the week is for the upcoming sequel to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, titled The The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, which you can watch here. I did not get around to watching the first movie in this series, so I can't really comment on how much different and/or better or worse this movie looks compared to the last one, but I can say it looks pretty darn cool. It seems very exciting and fun, not to mention appropriately epic. If nothing else, it makes me want to go back and give the first movie a shot.

Secondly, a movie that could be hit or miss, but that I have pretty high hopes for, is The To Do List, the trailer for which you can watch here. Ever since Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World and (especially) Safety Not Guaranteed, as well as her role on Parks and Recreation, I've been an ever growing fan of Aubrey Plaza and her dry humor. I can imagine it might be off putting to some, but I dare you to watch Safety Not Guaranteed and not fall in love with her in all her strange, sarcastic charm. This movie could definitely be a hit or miss affair, but I think it looks like a fun and funny sex comedy. If nothing else, I'm willing to take my chances on it simply because of Plaza's starring role.


I'm perhaps a bit more excited than I should be after seeeing the new trailer for 300: Rise of an Empire here. While it's not a movie I return to or think about very often, I did enjoy the first movie. I love movies with a great sense of visual style, it that movie certainly had its fair share. The fact that Zak "Man of Steel" Snyder is no longer handling directing duties could be a good or bad thing.  I've never seen anything from Noam Murro, who has assumed the position as director for this movie, so it's hard to judge whether I will likely enjoy his style or not. The trailer makes it look promising to me, but then, do we really even need a 300 sequel?


A new trailer for White House Down reinvigorates my interest what could potentially be a movie that is a lot of fun and really awesome. That's a huge if, but two big ingridents for success are there in the form of Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx. I'm not a big fan of Roland Emmerich, but both of these actors have been super impressive as of late, and I have faith that they wouldn't choose to star in a stinker, or at least that they could cause a stinker to rise above that status. At the very least, hopefully it will be better than Olympus Has Fallen.

Movie Trivia Tuesday: Singin' in the Rain

This coming Thursday, I will have the opportunity to see Singin' in the Rain on the big screen for the second time in my life at the Garden Theatre in Winter Garden, FL. If I were to make a top 5 list (and someday I still might, even though it's a nearly impossible task), then singin' in the Rain would probably land as my #2 favorite movie of all time. It is an amazing, entertaining, funny, awe-inspiring film that is a joy to watch over and over again. It is certainly the best musical of all time, with multiple excellent and memorable songs and the talents that populate the movie are all remarkable. I could really go on and on about how much I love this movie. Given this exciting occasion, I thought it only appropriate to make Singin' in the Rain this weeks trivia subject.
 
 

• Different actors were considered for all three of the main roles at various times. Judy Garland was considered among several other actresses to play the part of Kathy Seldon, but was deemed too old for the part, the role of Cosmo Brown was originally written for Oscar Levant before Donald O’Connor was suggested, and Howard Keel was the original choice to play Don Lockwood.

 

• Gene Kelly was seen by Donald O’Connor as somewhat of a tyrant while making the movie, and supposedly even criticizing Debbie Reynolds dancing to the point of making her cry

 

• In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked Singin' in the Rain the #5 greatest film of all time

 

• The film was nominated for two Oscars, one for Best Supporting Actress, Jean Hagen and another for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture. Donald O’Connor also won a Golden Globe for his performance as Cosmo Brown.

 

• The script was written after the songs. A plot had to be devised around which the songs would fit

 

• Only two songs were written specifically for the film, “Moses Supposes” and “Make ‘Em Laugh”

 

• In the songs “Would You” and “You Are My Lucky Star,” Debbie Reynolds is being dubbed by Betty Noyes

 

• The melody for “Make ‘Em Laugh” is strikingly similar to the song “Be a Clown” sung by Gene Kelly in The Pirate. Nobody was ever accused of plagiarism, though. Judge for yourself here and here.

 

• Gene Kelly had a 103 degree fever during the filming the “Singin’ in the Rain” musical number

 

• The rain used in the “Singin’ in the Rain” musical number was actually a combination of water and milk, which was used to make it show up better on film

Review: Now You See Me

Now You See Me…and now you see an incredibly mediocre movie.

Now You See Me is the newest in a string of movies made in the past few years presenting a story about the world of stage magic, and it is probably about the worst of the bunch (oh wait, The Amazing Burt Wonderstone, that’s the worst. This is a step above that). This one sends FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol officer Alma Dray on a wild goose chase to capture a group of magicians who call themselves the Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Ilsa Fisher, and Dave Franco), whose big trick appears to be robbing banks in locations all over the world. Unfortunately for Rhodes, these conniving criminals are always several steps ahead of Rhodes, who is made a fool by their trickery. As Jesse Eisenberg’s character states, “the first rule of magic: always be the smartest guy in the room.”

The creators of Now You See Me have done a little magic of their own, making anything resembling interesting characters or development of those characters disappear before the audience’s very eyes. It’s a shame really, considering the load of capable talent that populates this movie, including Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, and to a lesser extent, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, and Jesse Eisenberg. None of these characters are made interesting enough to care about as you watch their crafty illusions and daring escapes, or, on the flip side, their foiled attempts to capture the crooks.

If the paper-thin characters aren’t bad enough, the movie houses a plot that’s almost as hard to believe as the idea that some of the tricks being performed in the movie are anything but CGI. It starts out simple and interesting enough, but it only gets crazier as the con gets bigger, leading to some moments in the movies back half that are too farfetched to take seriously, if you even care by the time it’s over.

Director Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, The Hulk) doesn’t help matters, as he struggles to succeed in bringing the story home and relies on flashy visuals and quick cuts to trick the audience into forgetting the movie’s ridiculous premise.

I will say one of the few things the movie has going for it is the fact that the cast IS impressive. Woody Harrelson provides a few humorous moments, but the best part is being able to see a couple of scenes where Caine and Freeman face off against one another. It’s a real treat to see these two heavy hitters occupying the same screen space together, and the movie is almost worth it just for that, but the excitement of witnessing this union of acting giants is only temporary. In fact, if you want to see these two in a movie, you’re much better off going back to revisit The Dark Knight. I don’t recall that they have screen time together in that movie, but they’re both in it, and play more interesting characters. It’s a much better way to spend a couple hours.

Speaking of superior Christopher Nolan movies, instead of wasting your money on Now You See Me, which you would be perfectly fine renting when it is released on Blu-ray and DVD, do a double feature of The Dark Knight and The Prestige. That remains the greatest movie about magic and illusion ever made.  Now You See Me, with its lack of characterization and implausible plot, not so much.

Trailer Trash Thursday

It seems like it's been a slow week for trailers. below is a collection of some that appear to be interesting, whether it be for better or worse.

Ain't Them Bodies Saints (HERE) looks like it has great potential to me. Ever since The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Side Effects, I have become a big fan of Rooney Mara, and so her inclusion in this movie has me excited to see it from the beginning. Casey Affleck has also impressed me in the past, and the movie looks sufficiently dramatic.

On the other end of the genre spectrum are The World's End (HERE) and Machete Kills (HERE) both look like tons of fun, and in the case of The World's End, I've gotten to a point where I'll see anything Edgar Wright makes, so I'm in.

Unfortunately, Planes (HERE), which seems to take place in the world of Pixar's Cars, looks to be more on the lame side to me, as does Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (HERE), another entry in a franchise I've never really cared for, and this trailer doesn't really change my mind.

Movie Trivia Tuesday: The Wizard of Oz

This past weekend, I saw a stage performance of The Wizard of Oz that, while cute, only made me appreciate the original, masterful, 1939 movie more than ever. I have always been a fan of The Wizard of Oz, but after that production, which featured some of the scenes that were left out of the movie (and rightly left out, I might add), not to mention the lackluster Oz The Great and Powerful from earlier this year,  I have come to appreciate what we have in the original film much, much more. It also made me want to explore some of the history and other information surrounding the movie. Here are some facts about The Wizard of Oz.

• The movie won two Oscars, one for Best Original Score and another for Best Original Song for "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It was also nominated for Best Art Direction; Best Cinematography, Color; Best Effects, Special Effects;  and Best Picture.

• 1939 was a very difficult year for The Wizard of Oz to compete for Best Picture, and it lost to Gone with the Wind.

• Buddy Ebsen was originally cast to play the Tin Man, but after a reaction to the aluminum dust that was used for his make-up caused him to be rushed to the hospital, the role was recast with Jack Haley. The material used for the make-up was also switched from aluminum dust to aluminum paste. Buddy Eben's vocals remain in the film whenever they sing "We're Off to See the Wizard."

• In a deleted musical number that was to appear while the group was in the forest, the wicked witch sends a swarm of insects that causes the group to dance the Jitterbug furiously, robbing them of their strength. The scene was originally included to capitalize on the bobby-soxer dance craze at the time, but was later removed out of fear that it was date the movie too much. The song (featuring Buddy Ebsen as the Tin Man) still survives, along with a rough filmed version, which you can listen to and watch here. Furthermore, a reference to the scene remains in the final film when the Wicked Witch says "send the insects on ahead to take the flight out of them" before the flying monkeys take off.

• Shirley Temple was considered for the role of Dorothy, closer matching the actual age of the character, but there were two problems with that: She was under contract with 20th Century Fox, and was eventually deemed to have inadequate vocal talent for the role.

• Judy Garland had to wear an uncomfortable corset-style device around her torso to maker her appear younger and flat-chested.

• Producer Marvyn LeRoy originally intended to use MGMs Jackie the Lion (from the studio's logo) in the role of the Cowardly Lion, dubbing in an actors voice for the dialogue, but this idea was scrapped when Bert Lahr was suggested for the part.

• Richard Thorpe was the original director of the movie, but was fired. He had made several choices for his vision of the film that were scrapped, including a blond, tousled hairstyle and baby doll make-up on Dorothy, different make-up for the Wicked Witch and Scarecrow, and a different look for the yellow brick road with oval bricks that looked artificial. All of these things were changed when George Cukor signed on as intermediate director.

• There were actually five directors assigned to the movie at different points: Richard Thorpe, none of his shot material actually existing in the final film, George Cukor, whose only major contribution was changing the look of Dorothy and the Scarecrow, Victor Fleming, the credited director, who shot the bulk of the movie, but who had to leave to direct Gone with the Wind, King Vidor, who mainly filmed the Kansas scenes (the storm and "Somewhere over the Rainbow"), and producer Marvin LeRoy, who directed some transitional scenes. The movie also had 14 writers. 

• Roy Bolger was originally cast to play the Tin Man and Buddy Ebsen the Scarecrow, but the roles were switched because Bolger's childhood idol, Fred Stone, had originated the part on stage in 1902 (Stone was briefly considered for the part, but at the age of 65 in 1938, he was not up to the physically demanding role).

• "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was nearly cut from the film entirely for multiple reasons: Some at MGM felt that it made the Kansas scene too long,  while others thought the song would go too far over the heads of the children for whom the movie was intended and furthermore thought it was degrading for Dorothy to be singing in a barnyard.

• The horses at the Emerald City were colored with Jell-O crystals.

• After he receives his "brain," the Scarecrow incorrectly recites the Pythagorean Theorem.

•  Most of the Wicked Witch's scenes had to be trimmed or cut entirely because they were thought to be too frightening for children.

• The snow used for the "poppy field" scene was made from 100% industrial grade chrysotile asbestos. This was done despite the fact that the health hazards of asbestos had already been known for several years.

• Three quotes from the movie appear on the American Film Institutes "100 Years...100 Movie Quotes" list:

         - "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." (#4)
         - "There's no place like home." (#23)
         - "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too!"(#99)

Trailer Trash Thursday: Monsters University and Don Jon

Two new and noteworthy trailers debuted recently that I think are worth discussing. The first is the newest Monsters University trailer. Pixar seems to have become comfortable with revisiting its old franchises lately, and I'm not so sure that's such a good idea. Toy Story 2 and 3 are great, but then you have Cars 2, which is terrible. I suppose with this movie, and later Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo, we'll see if they can successfully create a sequel that doesn't have the words "Toy" and "Story" in it. This trailer looks like it's full of energy and excitement, which is great and promising, but is also bereft of laughs (for me). Hopefully they're just saving those for your experience with the actual movie.


Next up is a movie that looks...strange, but also perhaps secretly good. I find Don Jon notable mostly because it is the feature film screenwriting and directing debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Gordon-Levitt has been a terrific actor in my eyes for a while now, and I'm very interested to see what he is capable of doing behind the camera. If Ben Affleck has taught us anything, it's that sometimes that works out great. I have to imagine Gordon-Levitt will do pretty well. I certainly have faith in him. He also stars in the movie, so that should help matters.

"Only God Forgives" receives negative reaction from critics after screening

Well, this is depressing.


Only God forgives was (and really, still is) a movie that I had been very much looking forward to. The Red Band trailer looked amazing, and it all seemed to have a ton of promise. Drive was awesome, showing the talent of Nicolas Winding Refn as a director, and Ryan Gosling has been mostly great in his recent movies. I really thought this was going to be one of the best, or at lest best made, movies of the summer. However, apparently there has been a lukewarm reception to Refn and Gosling's new movie, even to the point of being booed at a screening. Seeing this news definitely tempers my expectations in terms of this being another masterful output from Refn, as was the case with Drive. Too bad. Maybe my reaction will be positive, though. Look forward to my review when the movie comes out in July.