Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Trailer Trash, Movie Marketing, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and Clips

Over the weekend, the new full-length Star Trek trailer debuted in front of Quantum of Solace, as well as in shoddy bootlegged form over on YouTube. Thankfully, Paramount has finally debuted that sucker online in glorious HD, and you can check it out over on Apple right now. Go ahead … we’ll wait here.

Since I’ve never been a hardcore Trek fan (or Trekkie, or Trekker, or TrekWTF), I can’t pinpoint all the little things this trailer either gets right or wrong regarding the Trek mythology. I will say, though, that it looks to have all the makings of a big, exciting summer blockbuster and I’m sure audiences will devour it come May. Later on this evening, Cinematical will be joining Trek director J.J. Abrams for a very special presentation of footage from the new film, so we’ll definitely be back to let you know how it looks, feels, sounds, etc … And if there’s anything specific you’d like us to try to ask Abrams, let us know in the comments.

In the meantime, feel free to sound off on the new trailer below. Is this what you expected? And are you more excited or less excited about the film after watching this preview?

Star Trek arrives in theaters on May 8, 2009.

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Filed under: Action, Fandom, Cinematical Seven, James Bond, Lists

(In anticipation of Quantum of Solace, we’re rerunning some of our favorite Bond posts alongside a few new ones. Enjoy!)

By: James Rocchi

Now that there’s been a matter of, you know, 24 hours since the release of Quantum of Solace, enough time has passed for an assessment of the canon — out of the James Bond films, which are the best? Well, it’s easy to name the best seven — and in doing so, draw our week of Bond pop-culture coverage here at Cinematical to an end. Bear in mind that this list is only worth noting as a source of minor-scale arguments — which is exactly why it’s fun. And now that my inner Rob Gordon is ready, let’s talk about the best Bond films of all time … In no particular order, except for number one.

7. Casino Royale

Yeah. It’s in there. In the top third, most definitely. There’s more in my review, but there’s not a single part of this film I didn’t enjoy — or, if I wasn’t enjoying it, I was at the very least respecting it as part of the plot, as an attempt to set mood or build character, to tackle the backbreaking stoop labor of thriller-style exposition. Craig is a great Bond, and it felt real – like the sort of thing that may, in fact, happen in something like the real world. Well, not the kick-ass free-running sequence, but still. Oh, and also: There are computers and cell phones in Casino Royale, and only one piece of gadgetry was essential to the film. Everything else? Guns, knives, fists, phones. It’s down-to-the-ground stuff, and it’s amazing to watch.

Continue reading Cinematical (Double-O) Seven: The 007 Best Bond Flicks

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Filed under: Action, Thrillers, MGM, Sony, Fandom, Cinematical Seven, James Bond, Remakes and Sequels, Daniel Craig

Even as the franchise began to shed staples with 2006’s Casino Royale and tomorrow’s Quantum of Solace, the James Bond series is still known for several keystones across twenty other films: girls, gadgets, guns, martinis, silhouettes of female figures thrusting about during the credits, and so on. Some would say that these were the traditions that helped lead James Bond down the path that would end in 2002’s Die Another Day, which some would say made them want to take a top hat to their own throats. (Me? I didn’t hate it.)

Among these recurring touches were the last lines, often cheeky turns of phrase that seemed to suggest that everything was going to be just fine between Commander Bond and that chick who we’d never see or hear about ever again. So, out of twenty-one films, I humbly offer up my picks for the seven best of the bunch. I’ll leave you to find out if Quantum ends more along the lines of Royale’s “The name’s Bond… James Bond”, or with something a bit sexier…

Continue reading Cinematical (Double-O) Seven: Best Last Lines

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Filed under: Action, Animation, Fandom, Trailers and Clips

Not long ago we brought you a pretty damn good mash-up featuring Toy Story footage cut to the audio behind The Dark Knight trailer. Well, a dude by the name of Justin Niemeyer has gone and created a similar (in style) mash-up in honor of the new James Bond flick Quantum of Solace, and this time the Pixar companion film is The Incredibles. While some of the dialogue doesn’t exactly match up just right, this is still an impressive attempt for a trailer that runs almost two and a half minutes. Watching this also reminds me that it’s been way too long since I’ve taken in a screening of The Incredibles, and seeing as the brand new WALL-E Blu-ray DVD just arrived in the mail, I may just have a delicious double feature ahead of me this weekend. Check out the video below and let us know what you think.

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Filed under: Action, RumorMonger, Scripts, 20th Century Fox, Comic/Superhero/Geek

The countdown for X-Men Origins: Wolverine might have already begun, but what about a certain other origin story that fans had been promised for 2009? In an interview with with Empire, X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner finally gave an update on Magneto, and the good news is the film is alive and well in spite of the delays. According to Donner, “I think first we wanted to make Wolverine, and then David [Goyer, the attached director] took another film, and there wasn’t a lot of time, but I’d like to make that - we’ll have to see.” OK, it might not be the most definitive answer on the state of the project, but it certainly sounds a lot more reassuring than what Goyer came up with a while back.

Last September, details on the script had been leaked, but now Donner has provided a more ‘official’ glimpse at the script, saying, “We have a script on Magneto which is actually sort of Magneto and Charles Xavier, it’s Erik and Charles in their early, early years.” The new synopsis sounds like a bit of departure to what was reported back in ‘07, but it does fit with the story details that were also reported in Production Weekly. According to PW, “The storyline will heavily involve Professor X — That character was a soldier in the allied force that liberated the concentration camps. The professor meets Magneto after the war and while they bond over the realization that they are alike in their special powers, their differences soon turn them into enemies.”

It has been over almost two years now that fans have been salivating over the prospect of the adventures of a young Magneto in his own feature film. But, with Goyer otherwise engaged, and barely a mention of who might be donning that fetching purple helmet, it looks like it could still be some time before Erik finally gets his moment in the sun — let’s just keep our fingers crossed, shall we?

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Filed under: Action, Animation, Horror, Music & Musicals, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

Our previous reports on this troubled-but-provocative animated project can be found here and here, but the latest news comes by way of Twitch, who got it from one of the film’s producers on this message board right here. The project is a new-fangled adaptation of Heavy Metal, the producer is Kevin Eastman, and the latest dish is this: Three directors have agreed to direct segments for the film: David Fincher, Zack Snyder, and Gore Verbinski. Woo! And Eastman promises more names to come!

Check out the Twitch report for a few more specifics, because I’m about to offer a very brief history lesson: The Heavy Metal franchise began with this widely-acclaimed publication before spawning movie versions like this one and this one. For more on Heavy Metal, I refer you to my pal Wiki-P.

But uh, I couldn’t care less if this project goes back to Paramount or not. With directors like those ones already on board, you can consider my interest duly piqued no matter who bankrolls the thing. So if we’re talking about dark sci-fi fantasy animation … which other directors would you include? Del Toro, Jackson, and Nolan, obviously, but how about Danny Boyle, Brad Anderson, or Tim Burton? The possibilities are quite entertaining to consider — especially when you consider that Heavy Metal will almost definitely be an R-rated affair.

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Filed under: Action, Drama, Romance, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Scripts, 20th Century Fox, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, War, Nicole Kidman

I’m going to attempt to write this as spoiler free as possible, saddened that as a Cinematical blogger, I inevitably ruin every single movie for myself.

According to The Guardian, Baz Luhrmann was reportedly convinced to change the ending of Australia after “intense discussions” with 20th Century Fox. Early test screenings were quite negative towards the original ending which is, apparently, quite a downer. Now, you’ll save on Kleenex, because it’s being rewritten for everyone to live happily ever after. (You’re probably saying “Just say what the ending is, it’s not a spoiler if it’s changed!” but I don’t want to take the risk. Please don’t blab it in the comments, either.)

Over at Rope of Silicon, they say Fox insists Luhrmann has the final cut, and his vision is being respected. If the ending has been changed, it’s because he wanted to change it. So there’s both sides, and I guess we’ll be able to put two and two together after we see the film. To add a little extra credence to this story, the fact that The Australian was reporting as of Halloween that the film still wasn’t done suggests the ending could be one of the final difficulties. The Guardian only mentions a rewrite, and not a reshoot, so let’s hope they filmed some alternate versions in order to avoid further delay. Now that I’ve lost The Road, I’m counting on The Drover to brighten up Thanksgiving weekend.

A few new images from the film were also just released, and we’ve added them to our brand new Australia gallery below. The ending might be changed, but she certainly is a beauty to look at.

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Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Movie Marketing, Remakes and Sequels, Images

On paper, it certainly seems like Paramount and Warner Bros. are competing this week to see who can market their big blockbusters faster and better. So far Warners has released roughly 357 posters for Watchmen, and Paramount is slowly releasing an image per minute for Star Trek (though some photos are creepier than others; I don’t know about you, but I’d like to see the one where Captain Kirk doesn’t look like a serial killer). As you can see above, J.J. Abrams has finally released a nice, crystal clear image of his brand new re-booted USS Enterprise, complete with that “it looks just like the old one” shine.

Entertainment Weekly (you expected someone else?) managed to snag this pic, along with a few words from Abrams himself. He says, “If you’re going to do Star Trek there are many things you cannot change. The Enterprise is a visual touchstone for so many people. So if you’re going to do the Enterprise, it better look like the Enterprise, because otherwise, what are you doing?” And I completely agree. Longtime Trekkers (Trekkies?) may not be getting the Trek flick they’ve always fantasized about, but at least he’s not f**king up the Enterprise, right? Star Trek beams itself into theaters on May 8, 2009. More Star Trek images in the gallery below.

Thoughts?

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Filed under: Action, Comedy, Drama, Foreign Language, Independent, Sony Classics, Box Office, Miramax, Cinematical Indie

This weekend’s success stories:
1. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Miramax)
2. JCVD (Peace Arch)
3. I’ve Loved You So Long (Sony Classics)

The critical consensus on Mark Herman’s concentration camp children’s tale The Boy in the Striped Pajamas dropped a bit over the weekend (from 71% positive to 62% at Rotten Tomatoes), which didn’t keep it from scoring a big win at the box office. Opening at 17 theaters, Striped Pajamas earned an estimated $15,000 per screen, according to Box Office Mojo. If you saw Striped Pajamas this weekend, are you recommending it to your friends? Is the holiday season the right time for a sober drama with (reportedly) a devastating climax?

Gotham moviegoers ignored minority sniping from several major publications and gave the reinvigorated Jean-Claude Van Damme a chance, rewarding Mabrouk El Mechri’s action / comedy / drama JCVD with $23,300 in total estimated returns at the two theaters where it opened. JCVD is too self-satisfied and drenched in style for my taste, but Van Damme is great fun to watch and the film itself overcomes its limitations to deliver an entertaining experience. Are you planning to see it when it opens near you, or will you wait for the DVD?

Kristen Scott Thomas reportedly gives an award-worthy performance in Philippe Claudel’s French-language family drama I’ve Loved You So Long. In its third week of release, the film saw an increase of 54.6% in earnings, despite adding just two theaters (still not in my area). That indicates very positive word-of-mouth recommendations. If you’ve seen it and encouraged others to see it, what in particular moved you or touched you? Was it because Thomas is good in it? Or is it just a strong movie overall?

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Filed under: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sony, RumorMonger, Scripts, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Religious, Western

I should have known better than to start writing columns and dreaming too much about a Preacher movie. Apparently, the project is just as iffy as its ever been. EmpireOnline caught up with newly appointed director Sam Mendes to find out that things aren’t as definite as they seem.

“I’d love to make Preacher. But there’s no script. This is a typical Variety announcement, ‘Mendes to direct Preacher‘ - I wish! Basically they should have written, ‘Mendes in development with Preacher‘. What I’m doing is, I’ve gotta find a script. I’ve just got to get it written.” To be fair, The Hollywood Reporter did say that Mendes would “lead the search” for writers, but the directing job didn’t seem so questionable.

Mendes does sound pretty enthralled with the material, so at the very least he’ll have a good go at it. “It’s brilliant, it’s an incredible twisted vision. There’s so much of it you couldn’t possibly fit it all into one movie. It’s just about what you keep and what you leave out, and how you structure the story. But just to have that toy set again, being able to paint on a big canvas and to say ‘I am gonna do crazy crane shots and massive action sequences again because I want to,’ it’s exciting.”

But enthusiasm doesn’t always get movies made. Plenty of people have fallen for the material in the past, and this adapting it for the big or small screen always falls short of the finish line. I fully expect this to slip back into the purgatory of pre-production, the rights to the series collecting dust on a Columbia shelf.

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